Thoughts on Deep Oceans

I loved the Deep Oceans exhibition and learnt a lot about the relationships between creatures of the deep and their adaptations. Of interest was the symbiotic relationship the angler fish has with illuminating bacteria that the fish uses to lure prey. The relationship between the males and females of the species being somewhat “parasitic” in nature was fascinating – I chuckled thinking about how this type of relationship can be mirrored in humans ..... Adaptations such as being the colour red means that at depth you are almost invisible, as red does not penetrate as far down as other colours. Other curious adaptations such as the elongated fins of the “tripod fish” were other worldly. I learnt how bioluminescence can be created by the creature itself to either lure prey, or confuse, escape or hide from predators. I marvelled at how some species of octopi can not only change the colour of their skin to blend in with their surroundings, but can add to their camouflage by changing the texture of their skin – truly amazing! All these adaptations made me reflect on how humans have been the most successful of all creatures to adapt to their surroundings often to the detriment of other species on earth. The Deep Oceans exhibition made me reflect on our impact on earth and reinforced my ideas about conservation. I will no longer purchase Deep Sea Perch (Orange Roughy) and will tell others to do the same. Exhibitions like Deep Oceans are important as the future of conservation and research lie in our children. Let’s hope more parents take their kids to see exhibitions like this! Lucy

It was a great day out for both kids and adults alike. We all learnt something new. We were particularly impressed by the 'decaying killer whale' exhibit - the animated images of the decaying body really brought to life what happens to creatures when they die - although it did lead to a lot of interesting questions from my 6 year old about if that happens to us when we die…! Davinia