Amazon Rising

Amazon Rising showcases the extraordinary aquatic life of the Amazon River basin through the lens of its dramatic annual flood cycle. The exhibit features piranhas, anacondas, electric eels, and hundreds of freshwater species in habitats that change with the seasons — from low-water dry season to the annual flood that inundates the surrounding forest.

The Amazon basin contains more freshwater fish species than any other river system on Earth, with new species discovered every year. Deforestation, dam construction, and gold mining threaten this irreplaceable ecosystem and the indigenous communities that depend on it.