No diving skills are necessary to explore this dynamic representation of what’s underwater at La Jolla Shores, an artistic legacy of ocean science.
Seemingly stationary, a large mosaic appears to decorate a corner of Kellogg Park in La Jolla Shores with ocean blues.
Simply referred to as “The Map,” its depth is deceptively rich and layered, much like the ecosystem it represents.
And though it’s cemented into the ground, The Map, conceived of by longtime La Jollan Mary Coakley Munk and sponsored by the Walter Munk Foundation for the Oceans in honor of the late Walter’s renowned contributions to oceanography, is a dynamic legacy of marine science and local stewardship.
Step closer and the details are revealed: The Map is nearly 2,500 square feet of LithoMosaic, containing hundreds of thousands of tile pieces embedded in concrete depicting about 123 marine species and the underwater formations of the “La Jolla Grand Canyons,” comprised of the La Jolla and Scripps submarine canyons off the coast of The Shores.
The Map also features a 4,000-pound bronze sculpture of the topography and bathymetry (or underwater depth) from Mount Soledad through one mile off the coast, showing the canyons in three dimensions.
Visitors to The Map will also find railings, photos, QR codes and more to learn about the species under the water.
Making The Map: A marine montage
The Map officially opened Oct 19, 2020, on what would have been Walter’s 103rd birthday (Walter died in 2019 at 101), after having been installed a few months prior.
The LithoMosaic, designed by artists Robin Brailsford and Wick Alexander, “is such an incredible process,” Coakley Munk said.
The Map was assembled in pieces at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography in a former NOAA building.
“That’s the beauty of LithoMosaic,” Coakley Munk said, adding the process is “poetry in motion.”
A team, including assistants Kelsy Hartley and Mariah Armstrong Conners, worked to place the tiles in mosaiced images “upside down and backwards” on smaller pieces of mesh, she said, feats of unexpected artistry that, when flipped after transfer to the park, were bonded to a bed of concrete as they were matched together seamlessly.
The mesh released and The Map cured, the canyons were then revealed, offering an expansive illustration of the underwater world that most of the millions of visitors to La Jolla Shores will never see and few realize exist.
The Map’s origins in education
“The whole purpose of the project was an educational tool,” Coakley Munk said, adding The Map now lives as a redesign of an earlier version, conceptualized after she aided in the reworking and opening of the south Kellogg Park comfort station.
The bathrooms opened in 2005, leaving an expanse of muddy land empty that Coakley Munk, having just learned herself about the submarine canyons, began to visualize as an above-water map.
“I had no idea what was under the water,” Coakley Munk said. “I walked in the dive shop on Avenida de la Playa, and I saw a Franko [dive] map, and I thought, ‘Wow. … Wouldn’t it be cool to put this in the [Kellogg Park] space?”
The first map, designed after a meeting at Birch Aquarium with scuba divers, city of San Diego Parks & Recreation Department members and others, was created with Lithocrete, an architectural paving system using crushed, recycled glass, Coakley Munk said.
But the Lithocrete quickly lost vibrancy in color and bits of glass began to pop out, leading the city to close the first map shortly after it opened in 2009.
Repairs were made but similar issues arose, and the first map was closed for good in 2012.
While The Map underwent a change in direction, Coakley Munk and Walter founded The Walter Munk Foundation for the Oceans to honor Walter’s discoveries and The Map took on expanded meaning under the auspices of the fledgling organization.
The Map’s dynamic legacy
Fused into the ground but by no means static, The Map continues to serve La Jolla with opportunities for growth and expansion.
The official opening on Walter’s birthday has evolved into the Munk Foundation’s annual Celebration for the Oceans, now in its sixth year.
Affectionately called “Munktober” by foundation staff, the event has grown from Map-related activities into a one-day Kellogg Park takeover involving Kumeyaay presentations, ocean-related science learning, conservation kiosks and much more.
This year’s event, to be held from 9:30 am to 4 pm Saturday, Oct 3, will focus on underwater treasure hunting and sharks while including the expected vendors and educators.
It’s also the 75th anniversary of the Kellogg family’s gift of the park to the city, Coakley Munk said.
And since The Map opened, the number of Map-related excursions has increased, from scavenger hunts and school field trips to The Map that involve compass navigation with simulated submarines, food chain games and other teaching tools to the development of research activities for elementary through high school students.
The Map also has docents like La Jollan Mike McCormack, who volunteers for maintenance tasks and to teach visitors about The Map’s features.
“The best thing that anybody says is ‘I learn something new every time I come,’” Coakley Munk said. “That, to me, is the best gift.”
The Walter Munk Foundation is currently fundraising for four new benches at The Map. Learn more here.
