A vast underwater world will come to life during the “Ocean Gems: Wonders of the Sea” exhibit scheduled Sept. 20-Oct. 19 at the East Tennessee State University and General Shale Brick Natural History Museum and Visitor Center at the Gray Fossil Site.
The exhibit features the underwater photography of Dr. Diane R. Nelson, renowned ETSU marine biologist and professor emerita of biological sciences.
This special display also showcases specimens collected during Nelson’s under-the-sea adventures around the world.
Several related activities are planned for children of all ages, including coloring pages, magnetic habitat construction and digging for seashells.
Local dive shops – Dive Custom Inc. and Smokey Mountain Divers II – will have SCUBA gear at the museum during the exhibit and will present public demonstrations at 3 p.m. on Sept. 20 and 27 and on Oct. 4 and 11.
Corresponding with the “Ocean Gems” exhibit, Nelson will teach “Shark School” for children ages 8-12 on these Saturdays: Sept. 20, 27 and Oct. 4. Children will learn about one of the world’s “most magnificent creatures” by dissecting actual shark specimens with Nelson. These one-hour classes will be held in the Eastman Credit Union Multimedia Classroom at 1 p.m., 2:15 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
And for younger children ages 5-7, Nelson has created a special after-school class just for them. “Shark Pup School” will take place on Thursday, Oct. 2, from 4-5 p.m.
A maximum of 30 children will be able to touch a frozen shark while learning about its external anatomy.
Instead of dissecting a real shark, this “kid-friendly” program will allow the youngsters to explore the internal anatomy of a 6-foot-long stuffed animal shark by unfastening Velcro along its underside as they examine the shark’s “organs” and “stomach contents.”
Nelson is offering another educational opportunity with a special lecture entitled “Sharks: Friend or Foe?”
She will discuss facts and myths associated with sharks as well as the importance of sharks in the marine ecosystem and why they need to be conserved. This free public talk will be presented from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
For information and to register for “Shark School,” visit www.grayfossilmuseum.com or call the museum’s toll-free number 1-866-202-6223.
The ETSU and General Shale Brick Natural History Museum and Visitor Center at the Gray Fossil Site is located 1.8 miles from the Gray Exit 13 off I-26.

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