Like other treasures in the WCS Archives, our scientific illustrations come with a very special story.  In 1925, the WCS Department of Tropical Research—a remarkable group of women and men, including scientists and artists—set sail on the Arcturus Expedition.  After months of groundbreaking research in the Galápagos, they spent four days exploring the vast and mysterious Hudson Canyon before returning home to New York City. 

Just 100 miles southeast of the city—“thirty leagues from Broadway,” as DTR leader William Beebe later described it—the Hudson Canyon is one of the world’s largest submarine canyons and an important habitat for hundreds of wildlife species.  In 1925, the expedition team was captivated by its beauty, strangeness, and diversity, documenting their discoveries in field notes and stunning illustrations now held in the WCS Archives. 

One hundred years later, we’re proud to share these illustrations with a new audience. Players of the award-winning cozy puzzle game, The Art of Fauna, will now be able to learn about different species that live in the Hudson Canyon by solving puzzles made from six DTR illustrations in the WCS Archives. Alongside information about animals like the lined seahorse, man of war fish, and others, players can learn about the Hudson Canyon and WCS’ work in nominating and now advocating for its designation as a National Marine Sanctuary.  This collaboration between the WCS Archives and The Art of Fauna app celebrates the history of this wondrous and vital ecosystem that WCS and partners are working to protect today. 

In addition to finding the Hudson Canyon illustrations as puzzles in The Art of Fauna app, you can also find them on a variety of products in the WCS Archives Redbubble Shop!  Check out our t-shirts, mugs, prints, and other goods featuring Hudson Canyon illustrations as well as other designs from the WCS Archives.