Discover Nature’s Glowing Mysteries in this Special Exhibition Opening Saturday, October 6
Creatures of Light: Nature’s Bioluminescence, a new exhibition on view at the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science from Saturday, October 6, 2018 through Sunday, April 21, 2019, explores the extraordinary organisms that produce light, from the flickering fireflies found in backyards around the world to the alien-like deep-sea fishes and other fantastic creatures that illuminate the perpetually dark depths of the oceans. Rare among organisms that live on land, the ability to glow—that is, generate light through a chemical reaction—is much more common in the ocean, where up to 90 percent of animals at depths below 700 meters are bioluminescent and where scientists continue to discover bizarre new bioluminescent species. Like the crystal jelly, whose glow led to a revolution in cell biology, these deep-ocean animals may hold important clues to essential questions. Scientists are in a race against time as marine habitats are increasingly threatened by pollution, overfishing and global climate change.
Throughout the exhibition, guests move through a series of re-created environments, from the familiar to the extreme, to explore the diversity of organisms that glow and how they do it. They will discover the variety of ways in which light is used to attract a mate, lure unsuspecting prey, or defend against a predator; and learn how, where, and why scientists study this amazing natural phenomenon. Guests will also encounter live examples of bioluminescent organisms such as flashlight fish.
These immersive sections include:
- A woodland floor with bioluminescent mushrooms and a meadow filled with fireflies flashing unique, species-specific patterns in eastern North America
- The Waitomo cave system in New Zealand, where glowworms drop sticky threads from their bioluminescent tails to ensnare prey
- An interactive re-creation of Mosquito Bay on Vieques Island in Puerto Rico, home to dinoflagellates, planktonic organisms that create a glowing halo around anything that moves through the water
- The Bloody Bay Wall, a remarkable coral wall in the Cayman Islands, lit up by fluorescent corals and fishes.
Throughout the gallery, guests can deepen their experience by interacting with iPads, which will offer engaging videos, animations, photographs and additional in-depth content about bioluminescence and related phenomena designed exclusively for this exhibition. Additional interactive exhibits and videos will offer guests of all ages engaging opportunities to meet scientists whose work contributes to the exploration of bioluminescence. A symphonic soundtrack, created for Creatures of Light by composer Tom Phillips, evokes the magical experience of bioluminescence. As guests move through the exhibition, the music in each section sets a distinctive mood to create a fully immersive experience.
This exhibition is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (www.amnh.org), in collaboration with the Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada, and The Field Museum, Chicago.
Creatives of Light: Nature’s Bioluminescence will be on view from Saturday, October 6, 2018 through Sunday, April 21, 2019 inside the Hsiao Family Special Exhibition Gallery on the first floor of the museum. Admission to Creatures of Light is included in all museum admission tickets. Additional information on the exhibition can be found at frostscience.org/light.
