Sea

Your World, My World

Sea

From space earth does indeed look like a blue planet; 70% of the surface is covered by water, 97% of life is in the oceans and seas, bursting with life. Biodiversity is enormous; under water you find an unprecedented richness of species. The sea seems familiar territory. We have managed to map it, including its deepest depths but most especially its shallows. But we do not know everything yet. Especially hundreds of metres underneath the surface, there is still much to discover. The sea is indispensable to life on earth. It determines our climate; it plays a critical role in many essential cycles such as the cycle of water and oxygen. In short, the sea is the source of all life.

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In the exhibition

The ocean is vast and deep

The oceans occupy 70 percent of the earth’s surface and contain most of its water. However, We know more about the universe then the earth’s oceans.

Coral in the deep seas

Much of the surface of our planet is covered with water. We know quite a lot about the top layer, but comparatively little about the ocean depths. The creatures in this display case live just under or just above the surface. Organisms living there vary from microscopic algae to vast whales. Deeper than 200 metres, no sunlight can penetrate and creatures survive by preying on each other or feeding on dead algae and other organisms.

Black smoker

Black Smokers

Where the plates forming the ocean floor are spreading apart, there are hot springs constantly spouting plumes of hot water. There weird communities of organisms are found.

In the exhibition

Mangroves

To survive, the creatures and plants that live in mangrove forests have had to adapt to the ever-changing conditions.