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The Shark Room
The display area of the museum begins with the Shark Room on the second floor of Palazzo Grassi.Visitors set out on their journey at the discovery of the sea and its inhabitants by meeting one of the largest fish in the world, basking shark. The specimen on display is an 8-m female that was captured by mistake in 2003 off the coast of Chioggia. The fish was taxidermy mounted to preserve its true dimension and original skin. No matter how hard it is to believe that such a large animal risks extinction, the species is in fact on the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species, and is protected by several international agreements which ban its fishing, sale and consumption.Using the basking shark as an example, exhibits in this room show the different sea environments and examine the factors jeopardising biodiversity, thus emphasising the vulnerability and exploitation of marine resources and the need for responsible management.