Flower Hat Jelly

Jellyfish are some of the most successful life forms on Earth, and many species can thrive in waters that are warming too much for much other marine life. While corals around the world are succumbing to climate-change-heated waters by bleaching (dying), some jellyfish are unfazed and expand into areas where they previously were not much seen, or take over warm waters that other marine life has left. Incredibly diverse and graceful, jellyfish are loved and hated with equal passion. The flower hat jellyfish has bioluminescent points sticking out all over its bell and stunning colors ranging from irridescent aquas to deep pinks. This was my first (and so far, only!) mosaic with interactional intent: the tentacles hang freely and can be brushed to make them sway. This feature provides a sense of the freedom with which jellies float through the ocean, and it brings delight to everyone who interacts with the piece.