Monterey in Monterey County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Ed Ricketts’s Backyard

Historic Cannery Row

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, April 23, 2012

1. Ed Ricketts’s Backyard Marker

[Photograph credit:] Photographs courtesy of the Monterey Bay Aquarium

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

You are looking at the backyard of Ed Ricketts’s lab, Pacific Biological Laboratories, where Ricketts lived and worked during the 1930 and 1940s. He collected and preserved tide pool plants and animals and sold them to schools around the world. What do you think that curious grid of concrete containers was used for? The containers held the larger animals Ricketts collected; sharks, ray and octopuses.

Farther back at the ocean’s edge lie tide pools that recall Ricketts’s belief in the interconnectedness of all species. Most biologists of Ricketts’s time were interested in learning about individual plants and animals, but Ricketts held an ecologically holistic view of the world. He was interested not only in where animals lived, but how they lived.

Look farther out, beyond the yard. The bay you’re looking at was declared the Edward F. Ricketts State Marine Conservation Area. In this preserve, guidelines limit fishing and kelp harvesting so that animals and plants can thrive and replenish their numbers.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Science & Medicine. A significant historical year for this entry is 1930.

Location.

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36° 37.034′ N, 121° 54.064′ W. Marker is in Monterey, California, in Monterey County. Marker can be reached from Cannery Row. This marker is located on a small alleyway to the right of Ed Ricketts’s Pacific Biological Laboratories at 800 Cannery Row. The alleyway leads to an ocean view promenade. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 800 Cannery Row, Monterey CA 93940, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Science (a few steps from this marker); Fiction (a few steps from this marker); One Man, Two Worlds (within shouting distance of this marker); The Real “Docs” (within shouting distance of this marker); A Day in the Canneries (within shouting distance of this marker); The Spanish Community (within shouting distance of this marker); The Del Mar Canning Company, 1927-1947 (within shouting distance of this marker); The Japanese Community (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Monterey.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. To better understand the relationship, study each marker in the order shown.

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, April 23, 2012

2. Ed Ricketts’s Backyard Marker

Ed Ricketts’s Backyard image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, April 23, 2012

3. Ed Ricketts’s Backyard

Ed Ricketts's Pacific Biological Labratories image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, April 23, 2012

4. Ed Ricketts's Pacific Biological Labratories

The alleyway and marker are to the right of the building.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on May 7, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 1,050 times since then and 72 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 7, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.