On February 12, the "Heart of the Ocean - Foraminifera Science Exhibition" was officially launched at the Shandong Museum. Photo by Sun Hongyi
Jinan, February 12 (Sun Hongyi) "Heart of the Ocean - Foraminifera Science Exhibition" was officially launched at the Shandong Museum on the 12th. The exhibition aims to display the academic achievements of the world's top scientific research teams, show the microscopic marine life world invisible to the naked eye to the public, popularize scientific knowledge, and help build a strong marine province in Shandong.
Foraminifera is known as the "little giant in the sea". The picture shows a foraminifera model. Photo by Sun Hongyi
The reporter saw at the scene that the foraminifera model was in the shape of shells, clay pots, whistles, garlands and so on. The exhibition hall has an interactive experience area where visitors can view the foraminifera in greater detail through the microscope. It is understood that the exhibition exhibited a total of 126 foraminifera specimens, more than 50 specimen enlargement models, and more than 100 specimen photomicrography photos.
The picture shows a foraminifera model. Foraminifera models are in the shape of shells, clay pots, whistles, garlands, etc. Photo by Sun Hongyi
"The foraminifera specimens displayed in the exhibition include living species and fossil species, which were collected and screened by Zheng Shouyi, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a researcher at the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, from the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, the South China Sea and other seas." Sun Chengkai, director of the Nature Department of Shandong Museum, said that the exhibition also uses microphotography technology to present the artistic beauty, diversity of species, survival adaptability and the environmental significance indicated by its shell from multiple angles.
The picture shows a vitreous foraminifera model. Photo by Sun Hongyi
The reporter learned that foraminifera is a shelled or shellless single-celled animal, and there are often holes in the next door between different chambers, so it is named foraminifera. Its single adult cells are as small as 0.02 mm and as large as 110 mm, with a history of more than 500 million years since the Cambrian Period, more than 40,000 known fossil species, more than 6,000 species of living species, the vast majority of which are marine species, benthic or planktonic life.
The picture shows a model of a small hugging coccidiosis in the sparse chamber. Photo by Sun Hongyi
"Foraminifera is known as the 'little giant in the sea.'" Sun Chengkai said that foraminifera contain important information on ancient and modern climate change, and its research involves multidisciplinary fields such as paleoclimatology, paleocliography, and global environmental change, which is of great significance to the study of strata, oil and gas, and marine structure.
The picture shows a foraminifera specimen under a magnifying glass. Photo by Sun Hongyi
"No one has ever studied foraminifera before." Zheng Shouyi, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a researcher at the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that after returning from the Philippines, she began to engage in research on foraminifera, aiming to let more people see and understand foraminifera.
On February 12, the "Heart of the Ocean - Foraminifera Science Exhibition" was officially launched at the Shandong Museum. The picture shows visitors observing foraminifera through a microscope in the interactive experience area. Photo by Sun Hongyi
It is understood that Zheng Shouyi has developed a model of foraminifera that is the first in China and rare in the world. She carved the foraminifera, which was originally only visible under the microscope, into a model, and became a scientific research teaching tool, popular science exhibits, tourist souvenirs and large sculptures that people could see and touch.
On February 12, the "Heart of the Ocean - Foraminifera Science Exhibition" was officially launched at the Shandong Museum. The picture shows visitors viewing foraminifera specimens. Photo by Sun Hongyi
After visiting the exhibition, Zhou Jiancun, a citizen of Jinan, said that this was the first time he had seen foraminifera, and after visiting and learning, he would tell his daughter who was in the first grade of primary school. "Foraminifera are small and invisible to the naked eye. It was a wonderful impression to see foraminifera enlarged by various techniques in the exhibition today. He hopes to see humans gradually explore more unknown worlds in the future.
On February 12, the "Heart of the Ocean - Foraminifera Science Exhibition" was officially launched at the Shandong Museum. The picture shows visitors viewing foraminifera specimens through a magnifying glass. Photo by Sun Hongyi
The exhibition is hosted by the Department of Culture and Tourism of Shandong Province and hosted by the Shandong Museum. During the 2019 Spring Festival preview, the exhibition received an average of more than 10,000 visitors per day. (End)