NMoQ presents first natural history exhibition on Dugong

(MENAFN - The Peninsula) Doha: The National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) has unveiled Seagrass Tales, Dugong Trails, a special exhibition on the dugong (baqarat albahr), the shy marine mammal that has inhabited the waters surrounding Qatar's peninsula for more than 7,500 years. Seagrass Tales, Dugong Trails will examine the animal, its environment, and its ongoing cultural significance for Qatar, while also highlighting how the community can mitigate the dugong’s threat of extinction. The exhibition is presented in collaboration with ExxonMobil Research Qatar (EMRQ) with the help of researchers and scientists at Texas A & M University at Galveston and Qatar University (QU) and the support of the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) and UNESCO Doha Office. ''The dugong is a fascinating creature, and its story is sure to captivate museum visitors of all ages,” explained Sheikha Amna bint Abdulaziz bin Jassim Al Thani, Director, National Museum of Qatar. ''We want to inform our public about the importance of protecting these mammals, which have special cultural and environmental significance to the people of Qatar. With this in mind, the National Museum has adopted the dugong as its official mascot. We are thankful to our many partners who supported the research behind Seagrass Tales, Dugong Trails, especially ExxonMobil Research Qatar.”  Since 2014, ExxonMobil Research Qatar, Texas A & M Galveston and QU have collaborated to develop research on the dugong in Qatar to protect their natural habitat. In 2018, ExxonMobil Research Qatar launched a campaign to raise environmental awareness to protect the dugong.  ''We’re delighted that the National Museum of Qatar is hosting Seagrass Tales, Dugong Trails – this exhibition is important in supporting the research work and conservation efforts we have been doing at our center to help protect Qatar’s dugong population,” said Nayla Al-Naema, Senior Environmental Scientist for ExxonMobil Research Qatar.  The exhibition takes the name Seagrass Tales, Dugong Trails from the trails that the animal leaves as it travels through seagrass meadows, an important element of the underwater ecosystem. Eating all day and all night, dugongs use their heavy bones to sink down to the seafloor and their bristly snouts to detect plants and sweep them into their mouths. The exhibition will be organized into three overarching themes – learning, discovery, and experience – and is curated by Evangelia Patmali, an exhibition researcher, and Bouthayna M Baltaji, Head of Exhibitions at NMoQ.  Throughout the exhibition, visitors will have the opportunity to engage in experiential activities, offered within NMoQ’s comprehensive protocols for preventing Covid-19. The unique experiential environments of Seagrass Tales, Dugong Trails will include a simulated underwater habitat and a laboratory. An exhibition highlight includes the installation of a dugong skeleton dating from 2012. The remarkable skeleton was recently added to the permanent collection of the National Museum, having been graciously donated by a family from Al Khor city.  The dugong was selected as NMoQ’s mascot based on its representation of the museum’s ethos of sustainability and environmental awareness, and also for its cultural significance as part of Qatar’s local heritage. Last year, in celebration of the museum’s first anniversary, local and international artists, designers, and creatives were invited to design a dugong mascot for the National Museum of Qatar. In October 2020, NMoQ announced Gaylord ''Choy” Salonga, a graphic designer from the Philippines, as the winner of its Dugong Mascot Design competition.  Seagrass Tales, Dugong Trails will remain on view through 15 July 2021 and is presented as part of the Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture. In keeping with the guidelines set by the Ministry of Public Health, a limited number of visitors and staff will be allowed inside each museum. Visitors will be required to reserve tickets in advance on the Qatar Museums website: >MENAFN15062021000063011010ID1102283917