\u201cI\u2019ve spent much of my life exploring what lies beneath the surface \u2014 of memory, of the body, of the landscapes we live in,\u201d Glesta<\/a> said in a statement. \u201cWhen I learned that an extraordinary marine ecosystem exists just beyond New York City, it felt like another one of those revelations.\u201d<\/p>\n Just 100 miles southeast of the city, the underwater canyon is longer and deeper than the Grand Canyon and teeming with life, from blue whales and sea turtles to tuna, crabs and deep-sea coral.\u00a0<\/p>\n But not many people know about the Hudson Canyon. Glesta, who has been an environmental activist and artist for years, learned about it during a presentation by WCS\u2019 Noah Chesnin.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHe actually asked the audience, \u2018How many people here have ever heard about the Hudson Canyon?\u2019\u201d she recalled. \u201cIt was in New York City, and nobody raised their hand.\u201d<\/p>\n Glesta was \u201cblown away\u201d to learn about the canyon and the diverse wildlife that call it home, and asked to meet up with Chesnin to learn more about it. That was when he told her about the Arcturus expedition<\/a>, a 1925 research expedition led by William Beebe and supported by the New York Zoological Society, which would later become WCS.<\/p>\n It was the first time Hudson Canyon was explored, and the crew included six women, scientists and artists. At the time, there were no cameras that could capture underwater species \u2014 they had to be drawn and painted.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe women on board were the artists who were, I like to say, translators of the science,\u201d Glesta said. \u201cThey were the ones whose role it was to depict accurately the \u2026 marine life that they discovered. They had this really important role in this, and I felt like that\u2019s another layer of meaning that is so extraordinary about this story.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n She knew immediately she wanted to create a piece about the canyon and its history. Now, in partnership with WCS and ArtW, Glesta will bring the canyon to Brooklyn Bridge Park. \u201cAQUA COSMOS: The Hudson Canyon\u201d uses multiple projectors to fill the pedestal of the Brooklyn Bridge and the plaza below life.<\/p>\n The piece uses video footage captured by WCS during a trip to the canyon last year with the \u201cbeautiful drawings\u201d from the Arcturus expedition and Glesta\u2019s own hand-drawn animations.\u00a0<\/p>\n Glesta said she thought viewers would be \u201cmesmerized\u201d by the piece, which will play on a loop at Emily Warren Roebling Plaza from 7-10 p.m. on Sept. 25 and 26.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d like to say that seeing something helps you understand what you actually otherwise can\u2019t see, which is this canyon,\u201d she said. \u201cBy seeing it, and understanding it, I think people will feel more likely to want to preserve what is so precious about it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The canyon is critical for local wildlife and economies, and WCS has been trying to get it designated<\/a> as a National Marine Sanctuary since 2016. A designation would support conservation of the canyon and its inhabitants and expand monitoring of the sensitive ecosystem, per WCS<\/a>, while expanding opportunities for education and engagement.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"hudson](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/EX2103_IMG_20210624T144124Z_ROVHD_CC-hires.jpg\")
The canyon is teeming with marine life, from whales to the deepwater octopus. Photo courtesy of NOAA<\/p>\n![\"isabel](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IsabelCooper_paintingFish.jpg\")
Science artist Isabel Cooper on board the Arcturus. Photo from \u201cThe Arcturus Adventure,\u201d via Biodiversity Library ![\"fish](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/The_Arcturus_adventure_Plate_VI_BHL4686718.jpg\")
One of Cooper\u2019s drawings from the expedition. Image from \u201cThe Arcturus Adventure,\u201d via Biodiversity Library<\/p>\n![\"bridge](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/green-octopus-on-bridge.jpg\")
The show will fill the bridge pedestal and plaza with images of the canyon and its sea life. Image courtesy of the artist, Anita Glesta ![\"screenshot](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Screenshot-2026-06-25-at-1.59.15-PM.jpg\")
A screenshot of one of Glesta\u2019s hand-drawn illustrations featured in the show. Anita Glesta, Still from AQUA COSMOS: The Hudson Canyon, 2026<\/p>\n