Descend into the warm clear water of the southern gulf.
Flashes of yellow, scarlet, and purple punctuate corals on the rocky
reef. Sea fans wave in the currents. Eels lurk in crevices. Sea turtles "fly" through
the sunlit water. Tropical influences, powerful currents, plenty of food,
and many opportunities for animals to make a living--the gulf is awhirl
with color and variety. Try to count the number of living things--so
much life, so little time!
Go deep, where sunlight cannot penetrate. Hot, sulfurous water billows
from crumbly stacks. Tubeworms, crabs, and clams thrive in this extreme
environment independent of energy from the Sun. Earth's crust is tearing
apart here and life persists. Through splits in the seafloor, molten
rock spews forth; seamounts and islands are born. This zigzag scar on
the face of Earth holds the memory of a peninsula ripping from a continent,
and ocean water rushing to fill the void.
In the Future Exhibits
- Pretend you are a scuba-diving scientist and count all the species in one square meter.
- Operate a deep-sea rover to discover a vent community.
- Send messages with bioluminesence and see how animals communicate in the dark depths.
- Pull the peninsula of Baja California from mainland Mexico, and create the Gulf of California.
Habitat Journey | Ocean | Coast | Shrublands | Mountains | Mine Tunnel | Rainshadow Desert | Colorado River Delta | Midriff Islands | Gulf of California | Central Desert | Cape Region
Future Permanent
Exhibits | Exhibits
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