The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk has opened a new exhibit, “Life Among the Grasses,” dedicated to salt marshes. The immersive experience features creatures of Long Island Sound’s tidal habitats and examines ways these habitats have inspired culture.
It aims to ignite a passion in people and inspire them to protect salt marshes – beautiful but threatened ecosystems that protect coastal communities from storm damage, remove nutrients and pollutants from runoff and store high levels of carbon below ground.
As visitors walk down the boardwalk and into the bilingual gallery, they will encounter diamondback terrapins, a species of concern in Connecticut, and learn about the threats these turtles face as they move from brackish water to nesting grounds. They will also see more than a dozen additional species including the longwrist hermit crab, tautog and lined seahorse.
Moving further into the exhibit, guests will have the opportunity to touch Spartina, the type of grass that grows in salt marshes, to understand what these areas feel like. They will also see how animals react to changes in water levels as they observe the exhibit’s tidal tank, which moves from high tide to low tide every seven minutes.
In addition to live habitats, the space features art inspired by salt marshes from 19th century paintings to Grateful Dead album covers. The “Marshing Through Time!” digital kiosks allow visitors to take an even deeper dive into the ecological and sociological aspects of New England’s salt marshes through film, storytelling, historic photos and games.
To plan a visit to see the new exhibit, visit maritimeaquarium.org.
