Creating the exhibits - A Fascination for Fish: Adventures of an Underwater Pioneer - page 191

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CREATING THE EXHIBITS
A FTER SETTLING INTO OUR NEW HOME , I began full-time work at the
Monterey Bay Aquarium. The habitats and the stories we wanted to
tell about Monterey Bay were gradually taking shape, and design of the
tanks was under way.
I was charged with deciding on the size, shape, and placement of
most of the live exhibit tanks. Being familiar with the requirements of
the animals, I was able to specify the living space and environment that
would meet their needs. I also played a role in determining the look
and feel of the exhibits from the public's point of view.
An experience I'd had at Steinhart had a major influence on me and
in turn on the design of the Monterey exhibits. Shortly after the 1964
renovation of the Steinhart Aquarium I was standing in the public cor-
ridor in front of the tanks watching the reactions of visitors as they
came to each exhibit. I wanted to see which exhibits and which ani-
mals most interested them.
In setting up the new displays at Steinhart, I'd made sure that the
rockwork, sand or gravel, and plants, as well as the animals, in each
tank were as di¤erent from those in adjacent tanks as possible. My aim
was to make each exhibit unique. Yet watching the visitors, I was struck
by the relatively short time most of them spent at each tank. Some people