Life in One Cubic Foot
December 3, 2022 - February 26, 2023

From Central Park to South African shrubland to a coral reef in the South Pacific, Life in One Cubic Foot reveals the diversity of nature that can be found using “biocubes”—one-cubic-foot frames used to survey the animals and plants living in an ecosystem. The exhibition features the research of Smithsonian scientists and photographer David Liittschwager as they discover what a cubic foot of land or water—a biocube—reveals about the diversity of life on the planet. In addition to exploring life through the exhibition, visitors are also invited to participate in citizen science and uncover the biodiversity in their backyard by creating and monitoring their own biocube. The exhibition is organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.



“Life in One Cubic Foot” follows the research of Smithsonian scientists and photographer David Liittschwager as they document and discover what a cubic foot of land or water – a biocube – reveals about the amazing diversity on our planet. The exhibition is organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.
Pictured: A biocube placed on the Tamae Reef off the Pacific island of Mo’orea.
© David Liittschwager
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