Birch Aquarium Opens New 'Meditation Ocean' Exhibit

SAN DIEGO, CA — Birch Aquarium has a brand new exhibition.

Meditation Ocean: Aquarius Reef Base opened Thursday at Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. The multi-sensory art and science installation reimagines Aquarius Reef Base, the world's only undersea research habitat.

The exhibit is a meditation space inspired by life beneath the ocean and created by artist Hope Ginsburg and the Meditation Ocean Constellation, a collaborative group of artists, writers, educators, meditators, musicians, curators, divers and scientists.

"Aquarius Reef Base stands on the shoulders of audacious experiments like the Navy's SEALAB and Jacques Cousteau's Conshelf, when humans first tested the idea of living for days or weeks beneath the surface of the ocean," said Megan Dickerson, director of exhibits at Birch Aquarium. "Today, as our ocean and our world face unprecedented change, Meditation Ocean: Aquarius Reef Base invites us to return to that boldness, this time to cultivate resilience, presence and a deeper connection to the changing life around us."

Visitors can explore projections filmed at the original platform, wander through simulated underwater spaces and step inside a recreation of aquanauts' living quarters — all accompanied by ambient reef sounds and playful design that invite reflection on our connection to the ocean, according to Birch Aquarium.

Included with the exhibition is "Meditation Reels from M.O. Turtlegrass Meadow," a video project shot over four days in Biscayne National Park in the Florida Keys by the Meditation Ocean Constellation. The installation captures eight meditating scuba divers as they "breathe with" ocean wildlife, rising from the seabed to float in meditation, according to Birch Aquarium. Prerecorded scripts allow visitors to join the divers in meditative practice.

Meditation Ocean: Aquarius Reef Base runs until Feb. 22, a spokesperson told Patch. The exhibit is included with general admission.

Birch Aquarium is located at 2300 Expedition Way in La Jolla. The aquarium opens at 9 a.m. daily, with closing hours varying by day.