The Museum received a special donation for the acquisition of essential technical equipment. The new gift, from a dear friend of the Museum who opted to stay anonymous, will further the educational and research components of the organization’s mission. With the new funds, the Museum will be acquiring a high-definition underwater web camera to stream our Giant Pacific Octopus activities. The camera is specifically designed for cold, saltwater aquariums. The new “Octocam” will make it possible for remote visitors to enjoy the life moments and movements of that very special mollusk. We will also be able to purchase high-sensitivity equipment to better monitor and care for the water chemistry in our aquariums, in particular the levels of nitrate, which are critical to our mollusks.
Last but not least, the funds will let us buy photographic equipment for automated, computerized focus stacking. Focus stacking, used mostly in the photography of small shells, is a digital processing technique that combines multiple images taken at different focus distances to give a resulting image with a greater depth of field (area in focus) than any of the individual source images. The focus-stacking gear also allows for the creation of three-dimensional, virtual objects for online viewing. The Museum staff, volunteers, and board of trustees thank the donor for yet another generous gift that helps elevate the Museum to the highest standards of public service and accessibility!