A Tribute to Marine Life that has Disappeared

For “Day of the Dead,” learn about species that are extinct, celebrating their existence and contributions to the ocean life that exists today. Come create your own beautiful self-illuminated and articulated shadow puppets, shadow costumes, and other props reflecting on extinct species. Use them in our small shadow theatres, perform on our large illuminated stage, or simply watch the beauty of the ocean unfold before you. Learn about the beautiful and wonderful species we have lost, reflecting on the challenges current species face and what they need from us to flourish.

Human activity is fueling the continued loss of various species of ocean life. For example, every summer, a portion of the Gulf of Mexico the size of Connecticut chokes in abundance as nitrogen and phosphorous, applied as agricultural fertilizer, are ferried by river and stream through the 1.24 million square-mile Mississippi River basin and deposited in the Gulf. They spark a massive bloom in algae, which quickly die and decay, a process that consumes oxygen and kills marine life. Scientists call it the dead zone.