I thought you’d like to know that we are presenting a new Deep-sea Mollusks exhibit at the National Shell Museum & Aquarium’s renovated Great Hall of Shells. The exhibit includes seven shell specimens from the Museum collection with details about their environments, with an emphasis on hydrothermal vents species. Hydrothermal vents are areas of the deep ocean where seawater seeps into the seafloor, gets heated, and re-emerges carrying dissolved chemicals that provide the energy for lush deep-sea ecosystems.
The specimens on display were gifts to the Museum from deep-sea biologists Robert Vrijenhoek (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, California), Verena Tunicliffe (University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada), and Cindy Lee Van Dover (Duke University, Beaufort, North Carolina). In addition to the exhibit, deep-sea mollusks are also presented in a beautiful diorama (right on illustration above) that includes a group of mussels (genus Bathymodiolus), Giant Tube Worms (Riftia pachyptila), and other deep-sea organisms in their hydrothermal vent environment. The exhibit was designed by Matter Architecture Practice of New York City, and the diorama, including all animal models, was created by Rawls Arts Design of Gainesville, Florida. Come and check it out next time you visit the Museum!
