Sharks are rare and unwelcome visitors to South Florida beaches, but now you can explore these feared creatures of the sea in a blockbuster exhibition making its North American premiere Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, at the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science in downtown Miami.
Sharks have been around for 450 million years, but according to Frost Science and others, the ancient fish is often misunderstood and misrepresented. This exhibition, created by the Australian Museum, exposes people of all ages to the genetic diversity, territories, interactions and significance of sharks within ocean ecosystems.
(Australian Museum)
Get a glimpse of a shark jawbone, teeth and all, at the Frost Science “Shark” exhibition.
You’ll find 10 life-size, scientifically accurate models in the exhibition, including the now extinct 270-million-year-old Helicoprion (also known as the buzzsaw shark); the bull shark, which lives in freshwater for extended periods of time; and the great white shark, one of the most famous of the species.
A specially designed “oceanarium” showcasing the majes
ty and power of sharks swimming through the ocean promises to create a dramatic immersive experience, while other interactive displays allow you to navigate through a shark body via a 3-D interactive scan, adapt a shark to evolve and survive in different environments, and see the world in 360-degrees through the eyes of a hammerhead shark. The exhibition also features tactile displays and artifacts, including a megalodon jaw, shark skin recreations, a great white jawbone and tiger shark teeth.
(Australian Museum)
Experience a hammerhead shark’s worldview at the Frost Science “Shark” exhibition.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a quarter of the world’s sharks are threatened with extinction primarily due to climate change, industrial fishing and pollution damaging our oceans.
“As the top predator in most marine ecosystems, sharks maintain balance within each of the communities they inhabit and yet, because of us their existence is under threat,” said Steven L. Bailey, vice president of biological programs at Frost Science. “We hope that through this exhibition and by observing and learning about the sharks in our aquarium, guests will leave with a deeper understanding and appreciation for the important role they play in ocean health. Our actions and attitudes toward sharks are critical to their survival and perhaps indirectly, our own.”
“Sharks” will be on view through April 21, 2024. Visit FrostScience.org for more information.