The Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (Exhibition)

Exist Dates

1969 November 3 - 1969 November 30

Biographical or Historical Note

abstract

Exhibition. Opened November 3, 1969 and closed November 30, 1969. Located in the Grand Gallery at the American Museum of Natural History. "The Crown-of-Thorns Starfish" featured a crown-of-thorns starfish, a natural predator of coral.

Summary

"Exhibit of the Month: The Crown-of-Thorns Starfish" featured a crown-of-thorns starfish, a natural predator of coral. The proliferation of the animal in many areas of the Western Pacific Ocean laid waste to many square miles of reefs, and the exhibition explored the possible causes and effects of this phenomenon including man's role in upsetting the ecological balance of the reefs. Scientists from the Westinghouse Ocean Research Laboratory, San Diego, California, were involved in trying to discover some method of controlling the proliferation of the starfish. The crown-of-thorns was on view in the 77th Street Foyer of The American Museum of Natural History during the month of November 1969 as the Exhibit of the Month.

Individuals and institutions involved in the creation of the exhibition: Westinghouse Ocean Research Laboratory, San Diego, CA.

Sources

American Museum of Natural History Press Release, October 27, 1969. Departmental Records, 101; American Museum of Natural History Library Archives.

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Related Corporate, Personal, and Family Names

American Museum of Natural History. Grand Gallery.
Location of exhibition.

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