On Friday 2 October 2026, at 4.30 pm, the new temporary exhibition ‘Leap into the Dark: Creatures of the Deep’ will open at the Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa.
What happens in the depths of the ocean, where sunlight cannot reach? What forms of life manage to survive in the darkness, the cold and under the extreme pressures of the most inaccessible places on Earth?
The exhibition, curated by Naturaliter, is dedicated to the deep sea and the extraordinary organisms that inhabit it: lanternfish, giant squid, crabs of the strangest shapes, as well as jellyfish, ophiuroids, tunicates and many other creatures that seem to belong to an alien and almost imaginary world, bathed in the colourful glows of bioluminescent organisms. Visitors will be able to gain a better understanding of life in the deep sea through models and displays that evoke the darkness of the ocean depths: a veritable ‘leap into the dark’.
The exhibition route leads progressively from the surface waters to the abyssal zones and oceanic trenches, showcasing the strategies developed by organisms to survive in conditions that would be prohibitive for most forms of life.
An opportunity to discover at close quarters an environment that remains largely unknown and some of the most unusual creatures inhabiting our planet.
Opening programme:
4.30 pm: official welcome.
Followed by a brief presentation of the exhibition by Naturaliter.
After the presentation, there will be a self-guided tour of the exhibition.
Admission is free, subject to availability.
The temporary exhibition will run until 30 June 2027.