Marine Life in the Putnam Family Gallery

  • A helmet jellyfish swimming in the deep, dark ocean.

The centerpiece of the Marine Life exhibition—a floor-to-ceiling recreation of life in New England’s coastal waters—immerses visitors in the remarkable diversity and dynamic interplay among animals in marine communities just off local shores. As models of glowing jellies, a giant sea turtle, and other sea animals appear to swim above their heads, visitors learn about new research and explore displays of real fishes, mollusks, crustaceans, corals, and other marine organisms selected from the world-renowned collections of Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Deep in the ocean, beyond all but the dimmest sunlight, resides the greatest, and perhaps strangest, concentration of life on Earth. Known as the Ocean Twilight Zone, their habitat is one of the ocean’s most mysterious, and one scientists are only beginning to understand. Ocean Twilight Zone is a mini exhibit highlighting the discovery, importance, and bizarre inhabitants of this fascinating place.

This exhibit is made possible by a generous gift from George Putnam III, AB ’73, JD ’77, MBA ’77, and Kathy Putnam.