The mission of our award-winning website is to inspire, enrich and extend a visit to the Aquarium, while fostering a deeper commitment and connection to the institution and ocean conservation.
Website Honors
Webby People's Voice Award 2005
Our website won the 2005 Webby People's Voice Award for education thanks to the support of our virtual visitors. The Webby Awards is the leading international honor for achievement in technology and creativity. You can see current and past award winners at webbyawards.com.
Bronze Muse Award 2005
Our Aquarium Timeline, developed to showcase the highlights and milestones of Aquarium history, was honored by the American Association of Museums with its Bronze Muse Award in the promotional and marketing category. The judges said, "Engaging and captivating website that appeals to more than the visual sense. They bring history to life in a creative way." You can see current and past award winners at mediaandtechnology.org.
Silver Muse Award 2003
Our Seafood Watch section, which helps consumers make seafood choices that protect ocean wildlife, was honored by the American Association of Museums with its silver Muse Award in the science category. The judges said, "A website you can actually USE—now, there’s a wacky idea!" You can see current and past award winners at mediaandtechnology.org
Web Cams Aid MRI Patients
Going through a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam can be stressful. The Aquarium teamed up with Comprehensive Imaging MRI centers in 2002 to make the experience more relaxing. Anyone who was having an MRI exam at a participating center could choose to wear special goggles and watch live video from any of the Aquarium's five streaming web cams. The purpose was to relax patients during a stressful procedure, a need MRI technicians have long looked for.
Webby People's Voice Award 2000
Our website won the 2000 Webby People's Voice Award for science thanks to the support of our virtual visitors. The Webby Awards is the leading international honor for achievement in technology and creativity. You can see current and past award winners at webbyawards.com.
Featured in "What Can I Do?"
Our website was cited as an excellent resource for ocean conservation and sustainable seafood information in "What Can I Do? An Alphabet for Living" by Lisa Harrow (Chelsea Green Publishing Company 2004).
Website History
We launched a new home page in celebration of the Aquarium's 20th anniversary in October 2004. Our website and live web cams continue to attract increasing numbers of visitors looking for a nature time out or educational or conservation content. Thank you for your support!
On October 20, 1999—the 15th anniversary of the Aquarium—we launched a much expanded and enriched E-Quarium II website. This powerful new vehicle for sharing our ocean conservation message with a worldwide audience was due to a major commitment both financially and in creative energy.
In the ancient days of the Web (1994), two folks—a dedicated volunteer and a student of marine biology and online design—each created "unofficial" Monterey Bay Aquarium websites. Later, with page-building support from a group at California State University Monterey Bay, we launched the first version of the E-Quarium on July 9, 1996.
Web Team
Humberto Kam, Senior Manager of Online Communications
Anne-Marie Alden, Senior Web Editor and Content Developer
