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Monterey Bay Aquarium
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To attract visitors to the historic Cannery Row area of Monterey,
and to fulfill its mission to inspire conservation of the oceans,
the David Packard foundation funded a 122,000 sq. ft. aquarium
building, located on the site of an old cannery to feature marine
life indigenous to Monterey Bay. Among the exhibits is the world’s
tallest tank to house ocean kelp and approximately 550 different
marine species. This exhibit is the first to allow kelp to be grown
in captivity. Other exhibits display large and small marine species
in their natural ecosystems.
We designed the HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems for the
aquarium building. The mechanical systems were particularly challenging
because of the need to pump in fresh ocean water in order to keep
the exhibit tanks full of the natural diets and nutrients that
the marine animals, fish and kelp must have to thrive and grow.
To accomplish this, ocean water is pumped into the tanks at the
rate of 2,000 gallons per minute day and night. During the day,
the water is filtered for clarity. After hours, raw sea water (full
of nutrition) is pumped through many of the exhibits. Utilizing
the pumping system needed for the exhibit tanks, we used and treated
the water exiting the tanks to heat and cool the building before
returning it back to the ocean. This continuous water flow from
the aquarium is available for the HVAC system as a nondepletable
energy source, allowing the aquarium to meet their energy conservation
goals. Careful consideration had to be made to make sure the temperature
and condition of the returning water was such that it would not
adversely effect the environment. The design of this system eliminated
the need for large cooling towers and boilers, thus saving initial
construction cost and tower maintenance costs for the aquarium.
The intricacies of the location of the aquarium meant the system
had to be designed to withstand seasonal changes, the aggressive
nature of seawater, and the salt-laden atmosphere, all contributing
to corrosion. To accomplish this, distribution system materials
were investigated in great detail, checking every part for availability,
and insuring the optimum selection of each material used. By means
such as these, the design should extend the life of the mechanical
and electrical system to 40 years in many cases, rather than the
average of two to seven years in similar installations.
The building includes a restaurant, auditorium, and classrooms,
as well as the original cannery boilers, which have been refinished
as an exhibit in the main entry.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium was completed in 1984.
In its first year, the aquarium drew 2.3 million visitors – twice
as many as its founders expected. Celebrating its 20th
anniversary in 2004, Monterey’s jewel has been rated in the Zagat Survey® U.S.
Family Travel Guide as the best aquarium in the country and the
third-best family attraction in the United States.
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