‘Dive’ amongst healthy, degraded and restored coral in an installation built from audio recordings and underwater photography captured in the Pacific Ocean. Based on fieldwork by UCL marine biologists Ben Williams and Jason Lynch, and made in collaboration with Datascape Realities, Corals at the Grant Museum reconstructs real-world coral habitats virtually in a location-specific experience. The VR activity is presented alongside the Grant Museum’s own collection of coral specimens, augmented reality digital models and 3D prints.

Coral reefs sustain 30% of all ocean species, and their degradation represents a stark reminder of the climate crisis. The study and preservation of coral reef habitats are vitally important to planetary health, and humanity in general. The data gathered from corals today is complex and multi-sensory, but corals are often still presented in conventional ways, including in museum settings. Coral specimens in museums can sometimes reinforce the misconception of corals as static and colonised objects, rather than as an animal that forms the foundation of a critical marine ecosystem.

Join us in re-imagining the museum as a space for climate action.

OPENING TIMES:
Sat 11am – 5pm
Sun & Mon closed
Tues – Fri 1pm – 5pm