Permanent exhibition

Coral reef

Since July 16, 2021, the Senckenberg Nature Museum in Frankfurt has been showing the new permanent exhibition “Coral Reef” as part of the Neues Museum renovation project.

Alongside tropical rainforests, coral reefs are among the most species-rich and productive ecosystems on Earth. They cover only about 0.1 percent of the ocean floor, but are home to a third of all marine wildlife. The diversity of fascinating organisms with their bright colors can be experienced in the new coral reef exhibition. More than 3,000 objects will be on display in a 6-meter-wide and 2.50-meter-high coral reef installation: from porcupinefish and dancing brittle stars to a school of white-tipped reef sharks on the hunt.

Making of

A team of three taxidermists is working closely with scientists from the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research and the Senckenberg Society for Nature Research to create a habitat display of an Indonesian coral reef over a period of three years. Their aim is not only to create a lifelike representation of the diverse creatures, but also to tell stories and illustrate interactions. The models show the reef inhabitants in action – such as a sea turtle at the cleaning station and an octopus searching for food. The reef can be experienced both during the day and at night. The existential threat to this valuable ecosystem posed by climate change and other human influences is also depicted.