The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum and Aquarium on Sanibel Island has a new exhibit ready for you to enjoy. It’s called “Brilliant Colors of the Sea: Nudibranchs and Their Relatives.”
Twenty-one colorful photographs of underwater nudibranchs decorate the museum, all taken by Scott Johnson and Gabriel Jensen in the South Pacific and South Florida.
What is a nudibranch?
Nudibranchs are marine gastropod mollusks that don’t have a shell in their adult form. They’re celebrated for their colorful and eye-catching patterns.
You can find nudibranchs worldwide in temperate and tropical regions, but the brightest ones are found in warm waters and coral reefs.
There are around 3,000 known species of nudibranchs.
About the photographers
“We are glad to display these stunning images by long-time National Shell Museum & Aquarium collaborator Scott Johnson and the young and talented Gabriel Jensen,” said Science Director and Curator Dr. José H. Leal. “Their images of these unfamiliar mollusks complement each other in a unique way.”
Johnson has spent almost 40 years in the Marshall Islands and started photographing underwater when he was 15 years old. His work has been acclaimed for decades.
Jensen’s photos of underwater microfauna in Florida are award-winning and have been featured by “National Geographic Wild,” “Smithsonian Magazine,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and more.
When is the Brilliant Colors of the Sea exhibit open?
The new exhibit is open during regular museum hours, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily with paid admission.
You can find it on the second floor, adjacent to the new Great Hall of Shells. Phase one of the Great Hall of Shells is open to visitors and phase two will open later this summer.
The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum and Aquarium is located at 3075 Sanibel Captiva Road on Sanibel Island. Adult admission is $18, senior and veteran admission is $15, youth and educator admission is $10, and children admission is $5.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum and Aquarium reveals new colorful exhibit
Reporting by Kendall Little, Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
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