The Midnight Zone

The Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium of Tucson, AZ commissioned six illustrations of deep-sea animals for their permanent “Undersea Discovery” exhibit. Accompanied by informational portholes, these large illustrations adorn the main wall of the Midnight Zone, which visitors encounter after passing though shallow-water and coral reef parts of the exhibit. Also known as the Bathypelagic Zone, the Midnight Zone extends from 3,300 to 13,000 feet below the marine surface, out of sunlight’s reach. After brainstorming with the museum director, we decided that I would draw the following six animals, chosen for their wide variety of body plans, colors, and interesting adaptations. These illustrations were printed and float-mounted onto the wall for display.

• Bloodbelly Comb Jelly, Lampocteis cruentiventer.
• Firefly Squid, Watasenia scintillans.
• Vampire Squid, Vampyroteuthis infernalis.
• Pelican (Gulper) Eel, Saccopharynx ampullaceus.
• Black Seadevil Anglerfish, Melanocetus johnsonii.
• Barreleye Fish, Macropinna microstoma.

Some of these organisms are very rare to find in the unfathomably vast space of the open ocean, and are shrouded by near to total darkness. Their structures can also collapse if they are brought to the surface for study. With less plentiful reference available for some of these, especially in their natural state, I looked to some remote vehicle footage to help grasp how their bodies occupy space and how they move. Repeatedly pausing ROV footage of the rare Barreleye Fish, for instance, helped me to better understand the layout of its clear, delicate membranes around its eyes. This proved challenging, as its transparent, cockpit-like head casing bends light and warps the appearance of everything inside.

Graphite and digital color. Display sizes range from about 16” to 36”. 2023.