You may have seen a photo of Director of Collections and Curator of Mollusks Elizabeth Shea, Ph.D. in the Research Headquarters or in the This is What a Scientist Looks Like banner exhibit. With nearly 20 years at the museum, Liz is a deep-sea marine cephalopod expert and her research and expertise influence every exhibit in the gallery spaces. 

Each ecosystem includes a mollusk — a snail, squid, octopus, or slug — because these invertebrates have a major impact on our environment. Next time you visit, challenge yourself to discover the touchable flamed disc or the mantle slug in the Regional Gallery or the Giant African Snail in the Savanna. 

If you’ve seen the deep-sea dive immersive video taking a Remote Operated Vehicle down 1,074 meters to the depths of Kinlan Canyon, you’ve experienced Liz’s research. Below the screen are specimens collected from the North Atlantic, preserved in jars created locally by At-Mar Glass in Kennett Square.

In addition to what you see in the exhibits, we actively maintain and protect a scientific collection including the tenth largest mollusk collection in North America and conduct scientific research in the collections and out in the field — or, in Liz’s case, at sea. Our scientists also work with local universities to help professors teach their college students how to use scientific collections like ours. 

Please consider donating to the museum’s Annual Fund. Your donation has a ripple effect in our community: advancing scientific research, educating 20,000 school children, and encouraging a lifetime of discovery for 90,000 visitors every year.