Virtual Aquarium at the Montauk Oceans Institute
Photo: Courtesy of Montauk Historical Society
(eap) At the Montauk Oceans Institute, which is run by the Montauk Historical Society in a lighthouse on the eastern tip of Long Island in the US state of New York, visitors and interested parties can learn more about the local oceanic ecosystem. Content is conveyed through interactive exhibitions, educational programs and installations. A virtual aquarium has also recently been added, in which a total of 18 species of fish and other sea creatures can be discovered. When visitors approach the display, the digital aquatic inhabitants react by, for example, the pufferfish expanding, the scallop closing its shell and a shark performing a flip or snapping its jaws.
The interactive aquarium is an installation of the “Living Ocean” product from the German company vertigo systems, which at the Montauk Oceans Institute consists of 4 x 2 screens. The ultra-high-resolution display (up to 18 megapixels) of 3D underwater landscapes is based on a photorealistic real-time simulation using physics-based light calculation. Depending on the time of day, the fish population on the reef and the lighting mood change.
In order to integrate more technology-based offerings in the lighthouse in future, the building was modernized during the installation work, which included new insulation and a modern heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. The Montauk Oceans Institute welcomes around 100,000 visitors a year. ■
