Museum to host coral reefs photography exhibition

September 19, 2005

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida’s Florida Museum of Natural History will host the photography exhibition “Arms, Legs and Tentacles: Invertebrate Life on Coral Reefs,” Wednesday through Jan. 8, 2006. The exhibit by Florida Museum marine malacology curator Gustav Paulay showcases reef life with an emphasis on invertebrates.

“Like rainforests on land, reefs are the most diverse ecosystem in the sea,” Paulay said. “They are home to hundreds of thousands or possibly millions of animal species, yet even today only the largest, most obvious and accessible inhabitants have been described by scientists.”

The 23 photos highlight invertebrates from the sunlit reef surface and the complex reef interior, including animals rarely seen by humans.

Paulay has studied tropical invertebrates for more than 25 years. He leads the reef biodiversity program at the Florida Museum, which is maintained by students and faculty of the Division of Malacology and Marine Invertebrates at the University of Florida.