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After years of construction,
this stunning addition to the Seattle Aquarium
transports visitors across the Pacific
to a vibrant reef ecosystem known as the Coral Triangle.
That's a huge area
that encompasses the tropical waters of the Philippines,
Malaysia and Indonesia.
Just ahead, details on the Ocean Pavilion's three main habitats,
including the Reef, a 500,000-gallon tank
that gives visitors a close-up view of leopard sharks,
eagle rays, and bluespotted stingrays.
And joining us is Meg McCann,
who is the chief operating officer of the aquarium.
Thanks for being with us.
-Thanks for having me.
-Spectacular building.
For those people who plan to come here
or should be coming here,
when they walk through the doors,
what should they expect to see?
-Well, before they even walk through the doors,
they're going to look up
and they're going to look into our largest habitat
through the Oculus.
And then they'll get a first look into
our Indonesian ecosystem that we built here in the aquarium.
And once they walk into the aquarium,
they'll have an opportunity to look into the Reef
and see a multi-story habitat that's featuring eagle rays,
sharks, and lots of schools of fish.
-It's very cool.
And I noticed today a lot of kids in the area,
a lot of kids come here.
-It's fabulous.
We have welcomed a lot of schoolkids to come in,
and this is a great place to learn about our Salish Sea
and how we're connected to the Coral Triangle,
which is an area on the other side of the world
that's experiencing the same things we are
about ocean acidification,
plastics in the water, overfishing.
And so our goal is that these kids will grow up
and learn to take care of our one ocean.
-And they'll know about the Coral Triangle,
which is many, many, many miles away from Seattle.
-Yeah, except we are all experiencing
the same challenges.
And so the challenges that are going to solve for us
here in Washington will solve for our folks in Indonesia.
-I notice that there's so much to learn here,
but you have some tech help, too,
for those who come in and want to learn as much
as they can about the ocean.
-Yeah, it's so cool.
When you first come into the Ocean Pavilion,
you'll be in an immersive space surrounded by video
from the Coral Triangle and also the Salish Sea.
In addition,
when you go to our many habitats,
you'll have a fish finder
that will allow you to identify what's in the habitats.
And probably the coolest thing of all for most of our guests,
especially our younger guests,
is the At Home in the Ocean exhibit,
where kids are going to be at eye level
with many different species and animals,
and they'll also have a chance to choose their own adventure
and having technology-enabled learning.
-There's a lot of touch screens in the area.
All you have to do is hit -- hit the button
and you'll be able to find out a whole lot
about a specific exhibit.
-Yeah, kids love it.
It tells them all about the animals that are there
and the environment that they live in.
-This next question, I feel like we need the "Jaws" music.
I understand the aquarium is home for the --
is it the only endangered shark breeding program in the world?
-Not the only endangered shark breeding in the world,
but one of them.
And so we play a really key role
with the Indo-Pacific leopard shark.
We're part of a consortium of many other
global conservation organizations.
And so we're part of the breeding program
to help re-shark the Indonesian ocean.
-So don't be afraid of the sharks.
Be happy that we're able to breed many
and keep them alive in the oceans.
-Absolutely.
-Okay, final question.
What are the hours, the best way to get tickets?
And if you get a ticket,
do you have access to the aquarium as well?
-So, one ticket allows you access to all three
of our buildings.
The best way to get tickets is to buy online in advance.
But you're also welcome to come to our door,
and we are open seven days a week,
and I would just check our website for holiday hours.
-Very good.
Meg McCann,
who's chief operating officer of the Seattle Aquarium,
thank you for being with us.
-Thank you.
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