Experience an ocean you never imagined.
Embark on a journey from the oceans’ white-capped waves to their inky depths as you discover the latest ocean science in an immersive new exhibition that will make a splash with the whole family.
Explore the mysterious, rarely-seen world hidden beneath the ocean’s surface.
Exhibition highlights
- A floor-to-ceiling swirl of model biofluorescent fish and otherworldly plankton
- Pilot a submersible in an adventurous game navigating mysterious waters
- 180° screens to watch life-sized ocean creatures swim by
- Tanks with live seahorses, jellies, and more
Image slideshow
The oceans’ sunlit zone is inhabited by plankton, organisms that sustain nearly all marine life.Despite their small size, planktonic forms are remarkably diverse. Here, visitors inspect larger-than-life models of unusual and beautiful planktonic species.
Exhibition curatorJohn Sparks and colleagues recently discovered the widespread incidence of biofluorescence— the phenomenon by which organisms absorb light, transform it, and emit it as a different color— among marine fishes. Here, visitors examine a floor-to-ceiling array of model fishes and turtles that are now known to biofluoresce.
Visitors try to match adults from a variety of marine species to their planktonic forms in a “Find My Baby Picture” game.
Visitors can standside-by-side with some of the largest animals that inhabit our planet today in this section featuring a 180-degree, high-resolution screen where animations of blue whales, giant squid, and manta rays swim by at true-to-life scales.
Visitors try to match adults from a variety of marine species to their planktonic forms in a “Find My Baby Picture” game.
Screen reader users can skip the following slideshow buttons by using heading navigation. All slides have been displayed above.
Accessibility
Large Print Guides are available upon request in English and Spanish upon entry to the exhibition.
Strollers are allowed everywhere except ticketed special exhibitions such as Unseen Oceans, where stroller parking is available near the exhibition entrance. This requirement is not applicable for accessibility instances.
We understand that the Unseen Oceans exhibition can be overwhelming for some and if your visit would be better accommodated with the use of a sensory bag, feel free to visit our Visitor Center on the ground floor. These include various fidgets, sunglasses, headphones, and emotion cards we hope may better the Museum experience.
Exhibition Organizer
Unseen Oceans is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (amnh.org).
