The History of Jelly Husbandry at the Monterey Bay Aquarium

The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) has been exhibiting jellyfish since 1985. Mr. David Powell, MBA's first Curator, learned culturing techniques for moon jellies (Aurelia aurita) from Mr. Yoshitaka Abe, who was then Curator at Ueno Zoo. Abe-san sent Mr. Powell and his staff their first Aurelia aurita polyps, and they used his tank design to build MBA's first moon jelly exhibit. Since those early days, a number of passionate aquarists have sought to find new gelatinous species to culture and new ways to interpret them to the public. After the first moon jelly exhibit, MBA next exhibited jellyfish in the temporary exhibitions Living Treasures of the Pacific (1989) and Planet of the Jellies (1992), testing out not only the ability to maintain a jellyfish gallery long term but also the public's interest in these ill-known creatures. In 1996, MBA committed to a permanent jellyfish gallery. The construction of the Outer Bay Wing included the Drifters Gallery, which exhibits jellyfish species local to Monterey Bay and the California coast. In the subsequent years, MBA continued to work with tropical and other exotic species in temporary exhibitions, including Jellies: Living Art and The Jellies Experience. These exhibitions gave the team opportunities to experiment with new ways to culture and exhibit unique species. In addition, MBA has been able to contribute to science by describing the life cycles of several jellyfish species and discovering new jellyfish species in the Monterey Submarine Canyon. MBA's work has not been conducted in a vacuum, however, as we have collaborated with institutions in the United States, Japan, and around the world to expand our collective knowledge of jellyfish husbandry.