Tuna Research and Conservation Center

Opened on October 20, 1984, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is considered among the finest aquariums in the world.  When it opened, it was unique in its regional focus - interpreting the animals and habitats that surround Monterey Bay, much in the way they were interpreted by local legend Ed "Doc" Rickett's book, Between Pacific Tides.  In 1996 the aquarium expanded its offerings to include the open ocean with its Outer Bay exhibit wing, including a million-gallon exhibit where Pacific bluefin and yellowfin tuna are displayed, along with a diverse community of pelagic sharks and fishes.

One of the driving forces in establishing the Tuna Research and Conservation Center was the need to develop captive husbandry techniques for the tuna that would one day inhabit the Outer Bay exhibit.  This also provided an unprecedented opportunity to observe and study these animals in a controlled setting, leading to numerous breakthroughs in understanding how they function in the wild.