Cichlid Fish are among the live creatures displayed at the ROM's Water exhibition

MARCH 5 TO SEPTEMBER 5 Water is vital to the existence of all life on earth; it makes sense that we humans, as its primary beneficiaries, should endeavour to understand its myriad properties and uses. The Royal Ontario Museum embraces our blue planet with an exhibition dedicated to this life-sustaining substance. Ambitious in scope, the show offers visitors numerous ways to think about H2O—as nature’s unifying essence, as an at-risk resource, as a hotly contested commodity—and its importance to both the natural world and human affairs. There’s also a flood of interactive elements such as walk-through dioramas and live displays of assorted creatures, including cichlid fish, frogs, a gila monster and more.