Museum exhibit highlights deep sea research

Caitlin Smoot and Jennifer Questel
Roger Topp
Oceanographers Caitlin Smoot and Jennifer Questel stand before scientific illustrations by Nicholas Bezio currently on display at the Museum of the North.

A new exhibit at the University of Alaska Museum of the North reveals the wonders of the deep-sea.

The exhibit highlights the Quinn and Giacomini seamounts, which are underwater mountains in the Gulf of Alaska. These unique topographic features were the focus of a 2019 research cruise on R/V Sikuliaq funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

With support from the North Pacific Research Board, artist Nicholas Bezio collaborated with Jennifer Questel, Caitlin Smoot and other researchers on the cruise to create the UAMN exhibit, which also includes a mural, scientific illustrations, and videos of creatures living deep in the ocean. 

The exhibit will be open to the public through March 2023.