UNDERSEA OASIS: CORAL REEF COMMUNITIES

Christmas Tree Worm

January 27, 2007—mid-May 2008

Photo Exhibition Explores Colorful Marine Invertebrates

Undersea Oasis: Coral Reef Communities, an enthralling exhibition of 30 full-color photographs, opens January 27, 2007, at the American Museum of Natural History. On view through mid-May, 2008, the brilliant color photographs by underwater photographer Idell Conaway capture the dazzling invertebrate life that flourishes in the unique ecology of coral reefs—from purple anemones to pale yellow sea squirts.

Highlights among the exotic organisms are a red feather star with fern-like arms curling out of its cup-shaped body, a toxic flower urchin that can sting intruders, a Christmas tree worm with retractable spiral tentacles to catch prey, and a colony of bubble coral with tiny flatworms living on its surface.

Tube Anemone

Born in New Mexico, Idell Conaway spends much of her time in Manhattan and also travels throughout the world. Conaway uses a Nikonos camera with a strobe to capture her underwater images on 35mm film, which are then scanned, digitized, and produced as chromogenic prints on fine archival paper. Many of the breathtaking images in this exhibition were taken in areas around the Philippines, including Batangas and the Sulu Sea on the Philippines' southern perimeter near Borneo.

Mark Siddall, Associate Curator in the Museum's Division of Invertebrate Zoology, curates the installation of Undersea Oasis: Coral Reef Communities at the Museum.

The presentation of this exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History is made possible by the generosity of the Arthur Ross Foundation.

Undersea Oasis: Coral Reef Communities is free with suggested Museum admission.

For additional information, the public may call 212-769-5100.

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