(JERSEY CITY, NJ) --/PRNewswire/ -- This summer, Liberty Science Center guests are invited to climb aboard an interactive replica of the most advanced marine research and media vessel ever built as LSC partners with OceanX to host the world premiere of the immersive OceanXperience exhibition.
The exhibition takes audiences of all ages aboard the OceanXplorer, the advanced research and filmmaking vessel used by OceanX to explore the ocean and bring it back to the world. It opens to the public on Saturday, June 17 and runs through Labor Day.
Through their journey aboard the ship, visitors will have the chance to be true explorers uncovering the ocean's secrets and developing captivating media to help people around the world connect with this precious resource. Along the way, they'll conduct scientific experiments like actual OceanXplorer scientists and experience the exhilarating feeling of exploring some of the oceans' most inspiring locations.
"OceanX utilizes dauntless science, next-generation technology, compelling storytelling, and an immersive experience unlike anything we've seen on dry land to bring the deepest discovered parts of the ocean to Liberty Science Center," said Paul Hoffman, President and CEO of Liberty Science Center. "The goal of the exhibition is not only to educate visitors of all ages, but also to connect them with the oceans in a way that inspires them to deeply engage with, understand, appreciate, and protect this majestic realm."
The exhibition features several choices for guided research missions allowing guests to visit the exhibition multiple times for unique experiences each visit. One mission challenges "Xplorers" to study orca group dynamics by piloting a drone to observe an orca pod, virtually tagging an animal, and collecting audio and visual data to learn how members of the pod coexist. On future visits, guests might choose to research complex humpback whale communication or the tropical habitat of hammerhead sharks.
Guests will record their research using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology wristbands as they move through the gallery exploring replicas of the OceanXplorer's most interesting rooms, including Mission Control, Bridge, Wet and Dry Labs and Sub Hangar. In the groundbreaking HoloLab, visitors will don HoloLens 2 headsets to see how this new holographic technology can be used for scientific research and collaboration.
Finally, visitors encounter footage of OceanXplorer's submersible deploying from the ship and descending to the depths of the ocean. Guests are completely surrounded by the authentic sights and sounds captured by cinematographers on past OceanX missions. This powerful and immersive culminating experience leaves guests with the indelible feeling of having been an audacious marine explorer 40,000 leagues beneath the sea.
OceanXperience is based on the groundbreaking upcoming television series produced by BBC Studios Natural History Unit and OceanX in association with Earthship Productions for National Geographic. The series follows a fearless team of scientific and storytelling pioneers exploring the deepest and most inaccessible depths of our world's oceans, highlighting their achievements and the challenges they face along the way. The exhibition underscores OceanX's mission to preserve, restore, and discover the fascinating marine ecosystems of our planet through awe-inspiring media, cutting-edge technology, and trailblazing science and research that raises awareness for our oceans and galvanizes lifelong learners, future conservationists, and changemakers.
"OceanXperience elevates OceanX's mission to educate people about the wonders of our ocean, most of whom only get to see the unique lifeforms and ecosystems through a screen at home," said Mark Dalio, Founder and Co-CEO of OceanX. "Our oceans require our care, attention and appreciation right now and what better way to form a deep bond with our oceans than to put yourself in the shoes of an ocean explorer."
Flying Fish, a world-renowned producer of touring museums and science center exhibitions developed this immersive touring museum exhibition with the goal of creating the premier ocean exploration educational attraction that encapsulates the new breathtaking discoveries of the OceanXplorer team. It was produced with additional support from National Geographic Society.
"The goal with OceanXperience was to go beyond producing a traditional visitor experience. We've created an exhibition that's dynamic, engaging, and fun, but with a purpose – to raise awareness of our oceans and the importance of their conservation. Cutting-edge science and technology are used throughout the exhibition in straightforward ways, ensuring accessibility for all. We've used RFID technology to deliver customized visitor missions, and interactives like the ROV pilot stations, animal tagging, and mapping touch tables add to science-based learning. We developed OceanXperience to be a true adventure, one with intention and connection, for explorers of all kinds. We're very proud of the results," said Jay Brown, Principal & Managing Director of Flying Fish.
For tickets, admission, and exhibit information, please visit LSC.org/oceanxperience.
Liberty Science Center is a 300,000-square-foot, not-for-profit learning center located in Liberty State Park on the Jersey City bank of the Hudson near the Statue of Liberty. Dedicated to inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers and bringing the power, promise, and pure fun of science and technology to learners of all ages, Liberty Science Center houses the largest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere, 12 museum exhibition halls, a live animal collection with 110 species, giant aquariums, a 3D theater, live simulcast surgeries, a tornado-force wind simulator, K-12 classrooms and labs, and teacher-development programs. Before COVID-19, more than 250,000 students visited the Science Center each year, and tens of thousands more participated in the Center's off-site and online programs. Welcoming more than 750,000 visitors annually, LSC is the largest interactive science center in the NYC-NJ metropolitan area.
OceanX is a mission to support scientists to explore the ocean and to bring it back to the world through captivating media. Uniting leading media, science, and philanthropy partners, OceanX utilizes next-gen technology, fearless science, compelling storytelling, and immersive experiences to educate, inspire, and connect the world with the ocean and build a global community deeply engaged with understanding, enjoying, and protecting our oceans. OceanX is an initiative of Dalio Philanthropies, which furthers the diverse philanthropic interests of Dalio family members.
Flying Fish is an award-winning creator of touring exhibitions. We partner with the world's leading museums and science centers to design experiences that are built to last and impact generations. From Melbourne to New York, our world-class exhibitions travel to audiences of millions. They generate new, sustainable income for our clients - year after year - and inspire fans around the globe. For Museums. By Museums.
