Judith Connor in the Monterey Bay Aquarium auditorium describes research on Anthomastus, the soft coral in the background.
Image: ©1991 Monterey Bay Aquarium
The Exploring Monterey Canyon Program
The prototype Live from Monterey Canyon program was developed as part of a one-week celebration of the Aquarium’s fifth anniversary in October 1989. MBARI engineer Gary Thurmond laid the groundwork by establishing a microwave connection that relayed video from the research vessel Point Lobos to the MBARI headquarters in Pacific Grove and then on to the Aquarium.
Gary Thurmond, at left, works with Dennis Hunt to install the microwave antenna on the Research Vessel Point Lobos. Microwave signals between the ship and MBARI allow researchers the option of staying on shore and watching video images from the ROV in real time. It also provides the opportunity to share the ongoing research with visitors to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Steve Webster, the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s director of education at that time, remembers, “One of the most exciting aspects of my years at the aquarium has been our collaboration with MBARI. I recall the week we first fired up the microwave link with MBARI during the Aquarium's fifth anniversary celebration. David Packard was in the audience, and he was clearly excited about our fledgling program.”
After the program’s trial run, MBARI and Aquarium staff began work to enhance the program. The enhancements included a microwave antenna installed by MBARI engineers on Mount Toro to improve the range and quality of the live video signals from the ship. Additional interpreters, including some MBARI staff, were trained to interact with the audience which played a key role in 
making Live from Monterey Canyon an effective educational experience. With the addition of touch screen access to a collection of video clips, still images, and notes from the MBARI archives, those interpreters had visuals at their fingertips to provide background for the “unscripted” live video from the vehicle deep in Monterey Bay. Radio contact with the ships gave the audiences a chance to direct their question to the researchers there. In 1992, Live from Monterey Canyon was recognized as the best education program by the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Technicians Susan von Thun and Kyra Schlining review ROV video, noting the best sequences for the "Link" program. Kyra comments, “One frequent question the audience asks me is ‘Can you show us your favorite clip?’ and I have to tell them that I can’t possibly show them my favorite clips or we’d be there for several hours! It was such a treat to go through hours and hours of our archival footage and select the cream of the crop."