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Twilight Zone: Deep Reefs Revealed
We know less about the mysterious part of the ocean known as the twilight zone than we do about the surface of the moon. Academy scientists are helping to change that by exploring this new frontier.
After an exciting refresh, Twilight Zone: Deep Reefs Revealed is now open daily. Welcome back!
Descend into the twilight zone, a place where sunlight is scarce and divers with traditional scuba gear cannot go. In the narrow band between the light-filled shallow reefs and the pitch-black deep sea, these little-known mesophotic reefs—located 100 to 500 feet beneath the ocean’s surface—are home to fascinating and diverse marine life.
Every dive yields surprising discoveries, and in Twilight Zone: Deep Reefs Revealed, you’ll see new and rare species, many of which have never been displayed in a public aquarium. Explore the great unknown alongside our scientists as they uncover what secrets these uncharted places may hold for the survival of the world’s coral reefs.
To see and not be seen
As light fades, colors do too. This helps camouflage the twilight zone's flashy rainbow-colored fish—especially the red ones—while notably big eyes help them navigate the darkness of the deep reefs.
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Under pressure
With hundreds of feet of water above them, divers in the twilight zone are under intense pressure—literally. To descend to such depths, divers must undergo extensive training and use high-tech equipment like closed-circuit “rebreathers,” which allow them to extend their research time underwater.
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In living corals
Fish aren’t the only technicolor animals in the twilight zone. Get up close with incredible fluorescent corals that thrive in the deep and candy-colored benthic ctenophores—comb jellies affectionately dubbed “sea peeps” due to their resemblance to a certain marshmallow treat.
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Glowing in the deep
How do animals communicate in the dark? Learn how bioluminescent animals—from blinking flashlight fish to glowing microorganisms—communicate by producing their own light and give it your best shot with a luminous interactive LED wall.
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Steinhart webcams
Be mesmerized by colorful coral reef fish, soaring stingrays, and adorable African penguins—streaming live to your device, 24/7.
Generously supported by
Diana Nelson and John Atwater
Scientists use advanced rebreather technology for deep dives into unexplored areas of the ocean.
Living deep in the "twilight zone," this fish is often found swimming upside-down near cave roofs and overhangs.
Welcome to the twilight zone of the ocean, where the sun barely reaches and the fish have big eyes.
Watch as a diver plunges into one of the world's deepest living coral reef tanks. Daily, 11:30 am and 1:30 pm.
Researchers in the Coral Regeneration Lab are successfully breeding coral to regenerate reefs around the world.
Explore the Academy's major initiative aiming to reverse the rapid decline of Earth’s reefs in this generation.
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