The La Plata Museum has launched a completely renovated room dedicated to invertebrates, a space that combines research, dissemination and conservation to bring the public closer to the diversity of these life forms and its role in ecosystems.
Under the name Invertebrates. Amazing life forms, the exhibition is located in the ground floor of the zoo complex and proposes a tour of the environments where they live These organisms, supported by large-scale installations, collection specimens and interactive resources.
A visit to the new room: atmospheres, pieces and messages
The tour starts with an introductory area to the variety of shapes and colors of the group, where one stands out. giant clam of the genus Tridacna with a shell weighing more than 60 kilos, recovered from illegal sale and prepared in the Invertebrate Collection to highlight environmental crimes.
The heart of the proposal is a large-format diorama that recreates the marine environment from the intertidal zone to deep areasEpifaunal species that live on rocks or sand are shown, along with adapted infaunal forms to soft bottom substrates.
A section focuses on the fauna of the Falkland Islands, in continuity with the Patagonian coast associated with the Falklands CurrentAnemones, corals, crabs and snails demonstrate biogeographic connections between the islands and the mainland.
Climate change and its effects on Antarctic invertebrates are addressed through a multimedia resource: temperature variations, sea ​​ice and food availability alter communities from the surface to the ocean floor.
Invertebrates from continental waters are also presented: crustaceans, leeches, platyhelminthes, nematodes, bivalves and freshwater sponges, among others. It explains how occupy the water column, aquatic vegetation or the bottom in search for food and shelter.
In terrestrial environments linked to water courses and bodies of water, spiders, mites, harvestmen, scorpions, terrestrial planarians, centipedes, millipedes and mollusks such as slugs and snails appear, with emphasis on their adaptations to retain water and thrive in varying conditions.
The room dedicates a space to the relationships between organisms, with examples of parasitism and commensalism. A large infographic explains lifecycles of parasites that can affect people and animals, while commensals are shown as harmless.
Another section addresses harmful invertebrates, such as invasive species and agricultural pests. Cases such as golden mussel that clogs pipes, the giant African snail, and freshwater bivalves that alter habitats. Also shown are introduced slugs and snails, and worms that parasitize crops such as tomatoes.
The historic octopus model returns to the center of the room, restored and suspended as an emblematic piece. With some five meters in diameter, its documented presence dates back to the 1920s.
Who made it possible and scientific support
The update and restoration was carried out by an interdisciplinary team with researchers from the Invertebrate Zoology Division, specialists in architecture, restoration, conservation, graphic design and museology, as well as technical and non-teaching staff of the Museum.
The project was the winner of the Williams Foundation's Ensayar Museos 2023 and received funding from that entity, Félix de Azara Natural History Foundation and the Francisco Pascasio Moreno La Plata Museum Foundation, along with contributions from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Museum.
They collaborated on INIDEP, which advised and provided representative invertebrates from the Falkland Islands; the Argentine Submarine Foundation, which provided images; and LIDI (CIyTT, School of Computer Science, UNLP), which developed a multimedia resource on climate change.
The proposal is inspired by lines of work of the Conicet who gained public notoriety during the expedition to the Mar del Plata Canyon, integrating art, science and technology to reinforce the conservation message.
University and Museum authorities participated in the inauguration, including the president of the UNLP, MartÃn López Armengol, the director Marta Fernández and the dean Eduardo Kruse, along with representatives such as Francisco Brusa and Cristina DamboreneaAll the speakers agreed on the importance of bringing science closer to society.
With its didactic approach, scientific support and a staging that combines iconic pieces and updated content, the invertebrate room of the La Plata Museum reinforces the link between knowledge and citizenship, inviting a a leisurely and curious visit to understand biodiversity and its care.
