One of the Tennessee Aquarium's most popular exhibits will be replaced Monday after a nine-year run.
"The Jellies: Living Art" exhibit will close to the public after the weekend and construction will begin on a new exhibit scheduled to open March 14, 2019.
"Jellies are just a home-run animal," said Thom Demas, the aquarium's curator of fishes. "We're still going to have some jellies, and we may be able to improve that number going forward, but for right now, the focus is to gently ease 'Jellies: Living Art' out and make way for our new exhibit, which is titled 'Island Life.'"
The jellyfish display stood as a favorite for many guests, with the local artwork, tanks of transparent creatures and a mirror room reflecting jellyfish tanks. More than 6.8 million people passed through the aquarium in the nine years the exhibit was on display, according to aquarium figures.
The display was supposed to be a temporary exhibit created in partnership with the Hunter Museum of Art, but it remained for nearly a decade due to its popularity.
"The Hunter is proud to have partnered with the Tennessee Aquarium for nearly nine years for 'Jellies: Living Art,'" according to a statement from museum chief curator Nandini Makrandi. "Several different American artists were featured in the exhibition during its run, all of them drawing inspiration from the natural world."
Aquarium personnel said it's time for a new display - meaning something had to go. Jellyfish can still be seen in the aquarium's "Boneless Beauties" exhibit, and some of the jellyfish from the outgoing exhibit will be dispersed throughout the aquarium, with the rest going to other certified aquariums.
The new exhibit will focus on the question "What is an island?" The display will feature two interpretive paths, one geared toward children and one toward adults - although aquarium employees are quick to mention both can be enjoyed by any age group.
The gallery will display a range of information about islands, including a "very large" Indo-Pacific reef tank, Demas said. The mirror room will stay intact, with the jellies being replaced by flashlight fish, which will light up the room and make it appear as though guests are looking at the stars at night, he said.
Both the jellyfish and island exhibits were created by the aquarium's in-house designer, Jeff Worley, and a team of aquarium employees. For guests, changing exhibits is part of the lure of visiting.
"We've enjoyed seeing it. I'm really curious to see what they're going to do next," local resident Kelly O'Rear said from inside the exhibit Friday morning. O'Rear was visiting with his wife, children and their grandparents, and said he usually makes at least one trip every year to the aquarium.
The O'Rear family is the exact type of guest the aquarium has in mind when changing exhibits.
"It's always nice to do things that are different," Demas said. "We have a lot of members and locals who come, and we like to keep things new and changed up for them."
Contact staff writer Mark Pace at mpace@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6659. Follow him on Twitter @themarkpace and on Facebook at ChattanoogaOutdoorsTFP.