"We know more about the surface of the Moon and about Mars than we do about [the deep sea floor], despite the fact that we have yet to extract a gram of food, a breath of oxygen or a drop of water from those bodies."
— Paul Snelgrove, Oceanographer
And with that thought, RaRa and Reddy ventured neath the wild blue yonder. Actually, we were here after visiting the Dreamworks exhibition which was just next door. Hehe. "The Deep" is an exhibition about the life and it's mysteries in the depths of the largest body of life on Earth - the Ocean. There are numerous displays of deep sea creatures (alien looking lifeforms!) to keep the curious minds engaged. The specimens are exhibited in preserved forms as they are unable to survive the different pressure, salinity, temperature and oxygen levels between the deep and shallow waters. They are preserved in formalin (yes, embalming fluid) to ensure that they appear as close to what they would have looked like in real life. The exhibition is set in pitch black environment, to give you the sensation of being submerged in the depths of the deep blue sea. Well, not to mention the super cold air-conditioning effect to make it just a wee bit more realistic :)
The exhibition explores the different depths of the sea, ranging from:
- 150m - 600m: The Twilight of the Ocean
- 600m - 1000m: The Appearance of Colour- Beneath 1000m: Dive into the Extreme
- The Abyssal Plain: The Bottom of the Sea
This looked like a display chamber from an Alien Resurrection movie
At 600-1000 metres underwater, the lifeforms take on stranger variations.
Many deep sea fish are bioluminescent with extremely large eyes that are adapted to the state of their very dark environment. Bioluminescent organisms are capable of producing light biologically through molecules of luciferin and with the presence of oxygen. Many are blind and rely on other senses to hunt for prey and to avoid being prey, such as sensitivities to smell and change of pressure.
For those who are not blind, their extremely large eyes are super sensitive and they function with the use of bioluminescent light. It is said that the eyes can be as much as 100 times more sensitive than that of the human eyes.
Source : Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_sea_fish
Only time I learnt about anglerfish was in Finding Nemo. Hah.
Souvenirs after the visit? Nah, a wee bit over budget.
The fish here knows no fear, they willing come up to the surface of the water to "check you out".
But then again, this could have been due to them being fed by visitors to the area. Most likely.
(along the Marina Bay waterfront next to MBS Shoppes)
Website : http://www.marinabaysands.com/museum.html
10 Bayfront Avenue
Singapore 018956
Tel : +65 6688 8888
Opening Hours :
Daily 10.00am - 7.00pm (last admission at 6.00pm)
**Please note that this exhibition has since closed. "The Nobel Prize : Ideas Changing The World" and "Collider" are currently ongoing exhibitions**
No comments:
Post a Comment