Plunge into Bishop Museum's "OCEAN PLANET": A Multi-Media Exploration into the Wonders of the Sea

We may call it Earth, but ours is truly an Ocean Planet. Approximately 75 percent of our planet is covered by ocean. These vast waters blanket mountain ranges higher than the Himalayas, valleys deeper than the Grand Canyon, plains as wide as the Sereng eti, and millions of plant and animal species that have yet to be discovered. Beginning Saturday, May 24, Bishop Museum will offer a spectacular exploration of this largely unknown aquatic territory with "Ocean Planet," a major interactive traveling exhib ition developed by the Smithsonian Institution.

"We are proud to present this highly interactive and educational exhibit about our world's wondrous oceans," said Dr. W. Donald Duckworth, president and director, Bishop Museum. "Ocean Planet is especially important to all of us in Hawai‘i , as we are th e only state in the nation that is completely surrounded by ocean. Also, 1997 has been declared the International Year of the Reef, so this exhibit is timely as well."

Bishop Museum's Ocean Planet exhibition invites visitors to discover the incredible wonders of the ocean and learn how to help preserve its resources. Visitors will take a simulated dive in a pilot's sphere, encounter newly discovered species of live f ish from the ocean's "Twilight Zone," get an up-close look at Hawai‘i 's own Makali`i submarine used in deep-sea exploration, and make a splash with outdoor water-play activities.

An "Immersion Zone" complete with sights and sounds of our ocean depths will provide an overview of the ocean's biological diversity. State-of-the-art computer animation will provide exhibit-goers with both aerial and underwater views of the world's oc eans, flying high above water and taking a visual plunge into the deep blue sea.

Video, computer graphics, news clips, interactive displays, and photo panels are part of a "Sea Lab" where visitors will learn how ocean currents, temperatures, and other factors affect everything from marine populations to the world's climate. Hands-o n displays will educate visitors about threats to our oceans, such as global climate change, coastal development, oil pollution, sewage contamination, over fishing, industrial runoff, and toxic waste, as well as attempts to remedy these problems.

At the "Sea Store" visitors will use a hand-held bar code scanner to learn the extent to which we depend on the ocean for a variety of products, from food to pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. In addition, visitors will learn about local seafood and how to speak the language of fish-tasting.

Exhibit-goers can journey to the "Twilight Zone," the largely unexplored area of the ocean between 200-500 feet deep, and meet Bishop Museum scientist Richard Pyle, a pioneer explorer of this deep part of the coral reef. They'll see live fish recently collected from the "Twilight Zone," investigate the new "rebreather" equipment used to dive at this depth, and compress a piece of styrofoam by filling a a tank with pressurized air. Visitors will discover the unique connections early Hawaiians had with t he sea, explore ancient Hawaiian nets and lures, and go fishing for octopus in a hands-on activity. They also can learn about Hawaiian fish-farming at a fish-filled aquaculture tank, and touch live seaweed at the limu tank.

A new planetarium show, "Oceans in Space," complements the exhibit, offering live updates from NASA observatories to Museum visitors.

OCEAN PLANET, OCEAN PEOPLE -- Special Monday Evening Program Series

Monday, June 23. "Ocean Storytelling." Hear humorous, mysterious and fascinating fishing stories of Hawai‘i and the South Pacific from storyteller Tom Cummings. Listen to a Tahitian story about the octopus and a rat, and a story about Maui the demigod.

Monday, June 30. "Aquaculture in the 21st Century." Discover the role that aquaculture will play in the next millenium from prominent biologist and the "dean of aquaculture," Dr. John Bardach. Learn how growing plants and animals in water will be a necessity to preserve our natural resources.

Monday, July 14. "Follow That Fish! Shark and Fish Tracking." How far do tiger sharks travel? Where do reef fish swim at night? Join research biologist Dr. Kim Holland of the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology as he talks about shark and fish tracking. Using sonic trasmitters and dart tags, he has made some fascinating discoveries about fish movement.

Monday, July 21. "Creating Sustainable Communities." Join Puanani Burgess and Eric Enos as they talk about economic development using the Hawaiian concept of kokua, meaning reciprocity. Hear about how they are helping peo ple from the Waianae community build aquaculture systems, using farming practices from the ahupua`a tradition and the traditional value of cooperation.

Monday, July 28. "Diving into the Twilight Zone." Journey into the "Twilight Zone," the deep coral reef, with pioneer ocean explorer Richard Pyle. Learn about the new species he discovers at 250-500 feet depth an new "rebreather" technology he uses. See spectacular slides of his recent Palau expedition.

Monday, August 4. "Submarine Exploration the North Pole." Hear how a naval nuclear submarine was turned into a scientific lab for an exploration of the Arctic Ocean. Meet scientist Barry Campbell who will tell of his adventure on the 45-day expedition in 1996 in which the U.S.S. Pogy covered 12,000 nautical miles.

Monday, August 11. "Journey to Lo`ihi, an Undersea Volcano." Join oceanographer Dr. Alexander Malahoff on a journey to the undersea volcano fo Lo`ihi, Hawai‘i 's emerging island, and learn about its summit collapse in 1996. Discover how submersibles Makali`i and Pisces V take scientists to the depths.

Monday, August 18. "The Hawaiian Fishpond: Past, Present, Future." Have a rare experience with expert Jan Hanohano Dill of Oceanic Institute as he shares his lifetime of international experience in aquaculture. Discover the rich cultu ral heritage of fishponds used by native Hawaiians and how traditional techniques of construction and stocking have been adapted in the modern practice of aquaculture.

Monday, August 25. "A Long Heritage of Fishing in the Kingdom of Tonga." `Emili Wolfgramm, master Polynesian storyteller, will take you on a journey to the Kingdom of Tonga and share his first-hand experiences of fishing among his peopl e. Explore rich ocean traditions throught stories, proverbs and real-life anecdotes.

Schedule subject to change without notice.

Ocean Planet is organized by the Smithsonian Institution's Environmental Awareness Program and the National Museum of Natural History, and circulated by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. Major support for the exhibit is provided by the National Science Foundation, Times Mirror Magazines, and The Pew Charitable Trusts. Ocean Planet at Bishop Museum is sponsored as a community service by Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. Additional support is provided by GTE Hawaiian Tel and the Bis hop Museum Native Hawaiian Culture and Arts Program. The exhibit was brought to Hawai‘i by Sea Land Service, Inc.

Ocean Planet will run from May 24 to Oct. 5, 1997. Bishop Museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (808) 847-3511.

Copyright © 1997, by Bishop Museum. All rights reserved. All media are for the personal use of students, scholars and the public. Any commercial use or publication of them is strictly prohibited.

BISHOP MUSEUM
The State Museum of Natural and Cultural History
For Museum Information, call (808) 847-3511