Based on the vast iconographic search carried out for the eponymous book, the exhibition Into The Deep focuses on the oceans’ great depths and their associated fauna, ecosystems and biological phenomena. It showcases a selection of previously unseen photographs, some of which are exclusive to the event, as well as extraordinary video footage collected from research institutes around the world. The jewel of the exhibition is the display of rare deep-sea animal species, which gives visitors the chance to establish direct and unforgettable contact with the otherwise distant deep-sea fauna.

Held at the Natural History Museum in Paris from November 2007 to May 2008, the exhibition THE DEEP was conceived in order to reach an even greater audience than the book Claire Nouvian had produced did… The exhibition also created the opportunity of a direct contact between the public and the collection of fantastic animals THE DEEP has on display.

The exhibition started its international tour throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East after its French beginning. Considering the immensity of China, it has been decided to offer the Chinese public the opportunity to discover the splendor of the deep-sea world during three years and in the major cities of the country, showcasing the exhibition in the various Museums of Science and Natural History who have chosen to host it.

The main objective of the exhibition is to generate public interest for a remote fauna which is still largely unknown and extremely difficult to access, even today. By revealing the richness of the marine biodiversity and the extraordinary creatures residing in the very deep ocean, the exhibition enthralls the public around the world and makes people aware of the urgency to protect the marine environment, although most of the damage remains unknown and invisible to us, because it is hidden from view, below the surface of water.

Visit The Deep Exhibition in Paris at the National Museum of Natural History (2007): http://abysses.mnhn.fr/index-en.php

Visit The Deep China Tour (here: http://www.thedeepchinatour.com/index.asp?lang=eng)

It took years to collect the astounding array of fantastic deep-sea creatures, some of which have never been displayed before. Some specimens were donated, others were gathered by Claire Nouvian on oceanographic missions, such as the mission led by Dr Brad Seibel of Rhode Island University, the dive led by Steve Haddock of The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) in the Monterey Canyon, and the orange roughy stock assessment campaign conducted by the NIWA (http://www.niwa.cri.nz) in New Zealand. Other specimens were trawled during the Aurora campaign in the Philippines conducted by Philippe Bouchet of the National Museum of Natural History in Paris.

Creatures of the cold and darkness, linked to a very popular environment, the inhabitants of the deep sea can not survive in aquariums, moreover their method of conservation is extremely complex.
The animals brought together for the exhibition INTO THE DEEP have been fished during scientific studies by the samplers of submersibles, or trawled with care during oceanographic missions led from corners of the world.
Theses specimens have then been preserved using innovative methods, allowing them to retain their natural appearance. But particularly, the team from the exhibition INTO THE DEEP helped by the taxidermists at the National History Museum, France, worked on the perfection of a technique to encapsulate some of these creatures in resin, and therefore show them as close to their real appearance as possible.
The presentation of these animals is unique, thanks to the talented taxidermist Christophe Gottini at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, and his son Allan. The animals are suspended in tanks using invisible threads attached to walls of molded resin along the edges of the aquariums. The creatures have not been stuffed and so what you see is completely natural – no retouching! Take a look at the pictures to find out more.

Visit the taxidermy workshop : http://abysses.mnhn.fr/coulisses-techniques-en.php

We would like to thank the following people for kindly donating specimens: Samuel Iglésias, Edith Widder, Tracey Sutton, Tamara Frank, Steve Haddock, Philippe Bouchet, Michel Segonzac, David Shale, The University of Bergen, Craig Smith, Dhugal Lindsay, Di Tracey, Ian Doonan, Paul Grimes, Peter McMillan, Matt Dunn, Brad Seibel, Nikki King, Tokyo Sea Life Park.