Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego invites guests to celebrate the holiday season with living light during Holiday Night Lights, a first-of-its-kind holiday event on Dec. 15 from 6 to 9 p.m. During the event, guests will learn about fluorescence, bioluminescence, and phosphorescence through hands-on activities and encounters with live creatures that glow. They will walk across a glowing dinoflagellate plankton carpet, draw on a glowing sea of living light, and meet Scripps scientists Dimitri Deheyn and Michael Latz, who will discuss their research on these glowing creatures. “This will be such a unique opportunity for guests to experience the wonder and magic of animals that create light. We hope this becomes an annual tradition for all of San Diego to enjoy,” said Charina Cain, public program manager for Birch Aquarium. Bioluminescence is more than beautiful; it also helps creatures survive. Holiday Night Lights attendees will walk through the Hall of Fishes and discover the animals that glow in the dark; uncover the many reasons why light is important to animals in darkness; and view specimens from the deepest parts of the ocean.
They will also see the Tide Pool Plaza in a whole new light by discovering the animals that glow in the dark; watch coral polyps fluoresce in 3D; and listen to interactive stories.
Holiday Night Lights is a collaboration with BioPop, a Carlsbad-based company that develops “living art” concepts that fuel the imagination, provide new answers for the way we live, and enrich our understanding of the relationship between nature, science, and humanity.
Admission is limited for Holiday Night Lights and the event is expected to sell out. Discounted presale tickets are available for $18.50 for adults, and $14 for children ages 3 to 17 ($10 and $5 for members). A very limited number of tickets will be available at the door for $20 for adults and $15 for children. Children ages 2 and under are free, and children under 16 must be accompanied by a paid adult. For more information or to reserve tickets, call 858-534-7336 or visit aquarium.ucsd.edu. Proceeds support exhibits and educational programming at Birch Aquarium at Scripps.
