THE THREADS THAT BIND: SPINELESS, OCEANUS, AND FOULING SPECIES IN NEW ENGLAND

Some of the very same animals in the current exhibitions, Spineless: A Glass Menagerie of Blaschka Marine Invertebrates and Alexis Rockman: Oceanus, live in the Mystic River and nearby waters today. One of the shining examples is the light bulb sea squirt, Clavelina lepadiformis, brilliantly depicted in the Rockman watercolor, Vectors and Pathways, and also seen in Spineless as a glass model made in the 1870s by glassmakers Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka. This well-known European species arrived on our coast about 15 years ago, carried here on ships’ bottoms, and today coats the seawalls of parts of Stonington Harbor in the summer.

In the Museum’s waters are the European vase sea squirt, Ciona intestinalis, a spectacular transparent creature that occurs by the 100s and sometimes 1000s on our docks and piers alongside Botryllus schlosseri, the star tunicate—both represented in Blaschka glass models. Another Blaschka model that can be seen in real life off our docks is the moon jelly, Aurelia aurita, common in the spring through fall.

With all of these dazzling sea creatures featured in different media throughout our exhibition spaces, the Interpretation department saw an opportunity for new programming: a waterfront exploration program where Museum visitors could see some of the fascinating species up close living in the estuary!

Special plates known as fouling panels were deployed in the Mystic River early in 2023 and subsequently colonized by both introduced and native fouling organisms. When Interpretation staff hauled up the “day’s catch,” they then worked with visitors to examine and identify the animals and plants growing on the panel, using a photographic guide of common species in the river. Interpretation staff facilitated the activity and led a discussion with visitors about how different plants and animals have been transported across the globe. During each program, interpreters kept a log of the species found and shared the data with colleagues in the Williams-Mystic program.

Dr. James T. Carlton, Director Emeritus, The Coastal and Ocean Studies Program of Williams College and Mystic Seaport Museum

Krystal Rose, Curator of Collections

Maria Petrillo, Director of Interpretation