A group of scientists wondered what kind of creatures they would find in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, at 12,000 feet below sea level. Their amazing findings can be seen in the exhibit Deeper Than Light, at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., from February 21 until May 23.
Dive in and experience the world of the deep sea. In 2004, a team of scientists on the Norwegian research vessel G.O. Sars embarked on a study of the vast, unexplored depths of the north Atlantic Ocean. What kind of organisms live there? How do they survive? How do they interact? This exhibition follows the scientists journey into this relatively undiscovered world, and reveals the wonders inherent in the unusual organisms living at extreme depths.
Deeper than Light presents unique discoveries and impressions from deep sea expeditions along the mid-Atlantic Ridge and highlights impressions, images and results from this relatively unknown and inaccessible frontier. Deeper than Light displays biological samples, fascinating film footage and visualisations, photos, paintings, drawings and scientific illustrations of the disoveries of the MAR-ECO project.
MAR-ECO is an international research project involving scientists from 16 nations which aims to enhance our understanding of occurrence, distribution and ecology of animals and animal communities along the mid-Atlantic Ridge - the volcanic mountain range in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. The exhibition has been produced by Bergen Museum, Norway and the international research project MAR-ECO, as part of the global initiative Census of Marine Life - CoML.
The artists works are made by the Norwegian painter Ørnulf Opdahl, the photos by the British photographer David Shale (a contributor to the popular television series The Blue Planet), and the historical drawings by scientific illustrator Thorolf Rasmussen. All this, together with fascinating samples of animals from the deep sea, is presented on modular panels. The exhibition also includes a film viewing the area and a model of the Ridge showing how new deep sea technology and vessels are being used.