Science Centre Singapore opens Glowing Oceans, a walk-through exhibition of live bioluminescent plankton, on 3 November. Visitors wade through a lagoon of living dinoflagellates that light up blue with every step. The Science Centre describes it as Asia’s first full-scale living bioluminescence exhibition.
Bioluminescent blooms have lit up Singapore’s shores in recent years, but city lights usually wash the glow out. The exhibition gets round that with a fully dark-adapted space at the Jurong East science centre.
Four zones of living light
The lagoon is the main draw. Visitors put on booties over their shoes and walk into shallow water, which glows sapphire blue under their feet.
At the touch tables, visitors swirl the water by hand and watch thousands of dinoflagellates light up in response.
Dimitri’s Desk recreates the field office of a marine biology researcher, with instruments, lab notes and a quiz on his computer. Holographic displays show deep-sea creatures that use light to hide, signal and find one another.
Darwin’s Cove tells, in animation, how Charles Darwin saw glowing dinoflagellates on HMS Beagle, and why the tiny organisms matter to the ocean food web.
The Science Centre states that the species on show are non-toxic and harmless, unlike the algae behind red tides, and that the exhibit keeps the plankton healthy.
Tickets and prices
Glowing Oceans with Science Centre admission costs S$12 for Singaporean and PR adults and S$10 for children and seniors at peak times, and S$7 off-peak. Standard tickets cost S$18 for adults and S$14 for children and seniors.
The Super Glow Bundle adds the ONE Ocean exhibition. It costs S$23 and S$18 for locals at peak times, S$20 and S$15 off-peak, and S$30 and S$24 at standard rates.
Before you go
The exhibition opens Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm, with last entry at 4.15pm. It closes on Mondays except public holidays and gazetted school holidays. A visit takes 45 to 60 minutes.
It is not suitable for children under four, and children under 12 need an adult with them at all times. Visitors wash their hands with soap before entering and skip lotion and sunscreen on their hands and arms. Closed-toe flat shoes and clothes that roll up work best. Flash photography, food, drinks and strollers are not allowed inside.
The lagoon is not suitable for all wheelchairs, though ramps run through the rest of the space. Visitors who dislike dark, enclosed spaces are advised to sit this one out.
Glowing Oceans is at Science Centre Singapore, 15 Science Centre Road. Tickets are sold on the Science Centre website.
