Black sea devil (Melanocetus johnsonii)
Bioluminescence, gaping mouths, stretchy stomachs and seeming invisibility are just
some of the adaptations that help deep sea creatures survive. © 2010 Natural History Museum, London.

A new exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London opens tomorrow (28 May 2010), entitled “The Deep” – offering a glimpse into the relatively unexplored world 11,000 metres below sea level.

From tomorrow until 5 September, The Deep plunges visitors into the abyss, revealing a deep sea environment less explored than the surface of the moon.

With bizarre creatures that have adapted to their harsh world in wonderful ways, visitors to the exhibition will discover the extraordinary yet fragile biodiversity that exists in the deep oceans and learn how Museum scientists are helping to preserve this important ecosystem.

When visitors enter The Deep they descend into the inky depths and embark on an immersive voyage where strange animals are suspended, jewel like, in the darkened gallery and deep sea giants loom out of the gloom.

Combining astonishing imagery, real specimens on display to Museum visitors for the first time and life-size interactive installations, a highlight of the exhibition is a life-size recreation of a whale fall.

Alex Gaffikin, Exhibition Developer at the Natural History Museum, explains: “At the centre of the exhibition is a real sperm whale skeleton, which has never been on display before. It tells the fascinating story of the weird and wonderful creatures that can live on a whale carcass for up to 50 years.”

The Natural History Museum has a long history of deep sea research, starting with the HMS Challenger expedition in the 1870s and continuing to the present day with the effect of climate change on the deep sea in Antarctica. Visitors to the exhibition will see some of the 130-year-old specimens collected on Challenger and climb aboard a life-size submersible to experience how modern museum scientists explore the depths.

The Deep is a collaboration between the Natural History Museum Basel, the Senckenberg Research Institute and the Natural History Museum in Frankfurt am Main. It has been adapted and had exhibits added by the Natural History Museum, London.

It is also part of the worldwide celebrations of the International Year of Biodiversity 2010, and while the habitat is remote, it is still under threat. For more information, click here.