THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, June 15, 1996 TAG: 9606210736
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: SPECIAL EDITION: A VISITOR'S GUIDE TO THE EXPANDED VIRGINIA MARINE
SCIENCE MUSEUM
SOURCE: BY PAUL CLANCY
STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 38 lines
Ever touch a blue mussel? A sea star? A living sponge?
If you donned scuba gear and dove to the base of the Chesapeake Light Tower at the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay, you could reach out and touch some of the creatures that cling to the tower's massive legs or hide among its crevices.
The folks at the museum have put these passive creatures within reach of visitors who merely walk into this make-believe habitat.
In a setting that resembles the base of the tower rise realistic-looking supports that are encrusted with fake barnacles and mussels. Beside them are small tanks with removable trays that allow both touching and up-close viewing.
This is the world of artificial reefs.
Human structures such as piers and shipwrecks and even automobile tires can become oases of life, offering nooks and crannies where marine life may hide and hang on. Mussels, barnacles, coral and sea whips are the first to arrive.
Then come clams, sea stars and other creatures looking for room and board, followed by the fish that dine on them.
At the exhibit, in the main building, floating magnifying lenses and a video microscope let visitors get close-up looks at tiny sea creatures like coral polyps waiting for a meal or dining on plankton.
Video monitors at the base of the tower legs add another dimension to the information about the marine habitat.
Just behind the touch tank area is a window looking into the sea turtle aquarium. by SS