WASHINGTON, D.C. — The blue crab is representing Maryland on the national stage at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
A new exhibit commemorating the nation's 250th birthday is opening at the Smithsonian Thursday featuring over 600 rare objects and specimens from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories.
The blue crab is one of 16 objects from Maryland that will be on display in the From These Lands exhibition, according to an immerse agency press release.
The goal of the exhibition is to highlight the unique natural, cultural, scientific and historical contributions connected to each area of the country.
The artifact will highlight the connection between nature and culture in the Chesapeake Bay as the bay supplies 18 million people with food, jobs and recreation.
Blue crabs are the bay's largest fishery but due to overfishing and habitat loss their numbers have been declining.
For over 50 years, Smithsonian scientists have tracked the crabs to understand the environmental condition's effect on the crabs populations and to guide sustainable management.
Some of these artifacts have rarely or never been seen by the public.
“This exhibition brings the entire country into one gallery,” said Kirk Johnson, Sant Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. “As the country marks its 250th anniversary, ‘From These Lands’ presents an opportunity to celebrate the diversity of our landscapes, the depth of our history and the connections that link people and the natural world across borders.”
Millions of visitors will be able to witness the 5,000-square-foot exhibition that explores the traditions, people and discoveries that have shaped the United State across millions of years of natural and cultural history until December 2029.
