Secrets of the deep: Field Museum’s ‘Unseen Oceans’ exhibit

There is a whole world hidden beneath the waves of the ocean, and a new exhibition at the Field Museum aims to give visitors a peek. In the "Unseen Oceans" exhibition, coming to the museum March 15, visitors will marvel at life-sized projections of sunfish and other undersea creatures.

In addition to viewing a swirling "fishnado" of fluorescent fish species, visitors can explore an underwater cavern and a model of a submersible that takes scientists far below the surface.

“More than 70 percent of the Earth is covered by water, and very little has actually been explored,” said Marie Georg, Senior Exhibition Developer at the Field. “This show focuses on the extremes of size, from tiny plankton to huge whales. It’s amazing to see how life thrives on the ocean floor in a variety of ways you wouldn’t expect.”

“For example, you may not expect an ecosystem based on wood that falls to the bottom of the ocean or creatures that glow,” she added. “Through 21st-century technology, the show gives a view of the inky depths that haven’t been seen before.” 

The exhibition is organized by the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York, with media-rich galleries that also feature original content and stories from scientist Janet Voight, Associate Curator of Zoology. Voight specializes in octopuses and wood-boring clams, and Unseen Oceans will include footage from her dives.

“The exhibition also includes information about ocean sustainability and gives a nod to the next generation of younger, more diverse scientists around the world,” Georg said.