The Museum of the Sea was a museum of marine biology and aquarium in the seaside city of Mar del Plata,

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

. The museum closed its doors in September 2012, after 12 years in operation.

Overview

A gift box containing 15 seashells, and delivered to 18-year-old Benjamín Sisterna from his brother in 1932, created a lifelong fascination with

sea shells A seashell or sea shell, also known simply as a shell, is a hard, protective outer layer usually created by an animal or organism that lives in the sea. The shell is part of the body of the animal. Empty seashells are often found washe ...

and oceanography in the young man. Twenty-six trips around the world in sixty years resulted in a personal collection of over 30,000 shells, fossils and

marine invertebrates Marine invertebrates are the invertebrates that live in marine habitats. Invertebrate is a blanket term that includes all animals apart from the vertebrate members of the chordate phylum. Invertebrates lack a vertebral column, and some have ev ...

, among other items. Sisterna's death in 1995 left the collection to his heirs, who began work on the ''Museo del Mar'', The Museum of the Sea, in Mar del Plata. Born in

Santa Fe, Argentina Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz (; usually called just Santa Fe) is the capital city of the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It is situated in north-eastern Argentina, near the junction of the Paraná and Salado rivers. It lies from the Hernanda ...

, a city far from the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

, Sisterna had lived in seaside mar del Plata for the last 40 years of his life. Inaugurated on September 22, 2000, the museum was divided into four levels: * The ground floor included the lobby, which featured a map of the world tracing Sisterna's exploratory travels. The gift shop, Benjamin Sisterna Auditorium and the Gloria Maris Café (named after the hill on which the museum was built) lead from the lobby, and were surrounded by aquaria and glass cabinets. * A lower level housed geological displays, and was laid out in a hall reproducing a submerged cave. The cave featured a central pond inhabited by smaller marine organisms, and is connected with the ground-floor aquaria. * The second floor was divided into two areas, including one exhibiting

contemporary art Contemporary art is the art of today, produced in the second half of the 20th century or in the 21st century. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a dynamic co ...

and cultural objects, and the nacre and seashell collection hall, where exhibits were displayed and labeled in glass cabinets. * The third floor featured a photographic gallery of Sisterna's travels and of oceanography generally, as well as a vantage point towards the lower the floors designed to visually integrate the aforementioned displays. The hall lead to a children's activities section, a

meteorological station A weather station is a facility, either on land or sea, with instruments and equipment for measuring atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasts and to study the weather and climate. The measurements taken include tempera ...

and an

observation deck An observation deck, observation platform, or viewing platform is an elevated sightseeing platform usually situated upon a tall architectural structure, such as a skyscraper or observation tower. Observation decks are sometimes enclos ...

, which provided an expansive view of the city and ocean beyond. The museum closed its doors in 2012 due to the lack of official funds to continue its activities. The multinational technological company Globant acquired the building in 2014. One of its founders is Guibert Englebienne Jr, an entrepreneur born in Mar del Plata and whose family has deep roots in the city. File:Museo del mar 18.JPG, Sea shells File:Shell collection museum of the sea.jpg, Collection of over 30,000 sea shells, among other specimens. File:Museo del mar 4.jpg, Sea cave display File:Museo del mar 6.jpg, Aquarium

References

External links

Museo del Mar
{{Authority control Tourist attractions in Mar del Plata Aquaria in Argentina Defunct aquaria Museums in Buenos Aires Province Defunct museums Museums established in 2000 Buildings and structures in Mar del Plata Natural history museums in Argentina Articles needing infobox zoo Museums disestablished in 2012