Since the establishment of the International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO) in 1921, profound advancements in marine science have unveiled the deep ocean as a dynamic realm teeming with life. The common fangtooth, a tiny fish with a formidable bite, is found worldwide in tropical and temperate waters between 1600 and 6500 feet below the ocean’s surface. That’s as deep as a stack of 52 Statues of Liberty, including the pedestals. Species once thought extinct have been found alive (the coelacanth fish is one example). Still other species have yet to be found alive like the giant squid, arch. As technology improves, it will allow us to more closely observe deep-sea animals for longer periods of time and certainly teach us even more about the great and wonderful adaptations that have evolved in the world’s oceans.
Data from these traps have shown that 815 million tons of carbon reaches the ocean floor every year. These layers of ocean ooze are important carbon sinks—drawing down the decomposing bits of carbon, laying them to rest on the seafloor, and finally burying them. For much of the deep ocean, food rains down from above in the form of marine snow. The term ‘marine snow’ is used for all sorts of things in the ocean that start at the top or middle layers of water and slowly drift to the seafloor. This mostly includes waste, such as dead and decomposing animals, poop, silt and other organic items washed into the sea from land. In the deep-sea food is scarce, but it is also a great place to hide in the dark away from hungry predators.
Giant Sea Spider
The fangs actually slide into specially formed pockets in the roof of the mouth when the jaw is closed. Dumbo octopuses live on or near the seabed and are most commonly seen resting or crawling on the seabed, although they can also swim. Three species were described using specimens found at the Porcupine Abyssal Plain and from within the Discovery Collections. We have a number of different species of angler fish which have all been collected in the North Atlantic at depth between 500 and 4,000m. Angler fish are extremely varied, in both size, habit and morphology – a few can grow to around a metre in length but most are much smaller, less than 20cm long.
- When disturbed, these can glow and pulse and the arms may writhe so that it becomes very difficult to tell one end of the vampire squid from the other.
- Below the ocean’s surface is a mysterious world that accounts for over 95 percent of Earth’s living space—it could hide 20 Washington Monuments stacked on top of each other.
- This is because the number of animals that live in the surface waters is high, and so much of the food is used up before it has a chance to sink into the deep ocean.
- Many animals have adapted to the near-darkness with large eyes and counterillumination.
- A century after the discovery of polymetallic nodules, world leaders were growing more eager for minerals as geopolitical factors sent metal prices soaring in the 1960s and 70s.
Toxic Nazi Missiles in the Baltic Sea Are Now Home to Thousands of Marine Animals
The president issued an executive order to bypass international law, directing U.S. officials to fast-track a process for companies looking to mine, including in international waters. Less than a week after the announcement, TMC submitted an application to the U.S. government to mine in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. Any industrial activity cannot help but disrupt the quiet deep sea, scientists say.
Economic perspective
- Abyssal plains cover over half the ocean floor, usually between depths of 3,000 to 6,000 meters.
- The depth record for any giant isopod is around 2,500m but a few species have been reported from shallower depths.
- It plays a crucial role in climate regulation, biodiversity support, and the planet’s overall health.
- Deep beneath the ocean’s surface, towers spew scalding water from within the earth’s crust.
- Fish, too, find shelter within the canyon walls, and also a good place to catch a meal.
- Unclos states that the commercial exploitation of seabed minerals can only begin with the establishment of a general mining code, a comprehensive set of legal, environmental and operational regulations.
For example, in the central Arctic Ocean, a research team including AWI staff was surprised to discover lush gardens of sponges growing on dormant underwater volcanoes. Many creatures that lived on the volcano millennia ago are now long gone – yet their remains linger. And thanks to symbiotic bacteria, the sponges can still put these relics of the past to use.
The bloodybelly comb jelly (Lampocteis cruentiventer) really is called that by actual scientists. These 6-inch, KONG-shaped globs are deep red to hide themselves in the twilight world, where red coloring acts like camouflage against the darkness. It’s a necessary adaptation, because the bloodybelly comb jelly’s favorite foods are bioluminescent. Without its red disguise, the comb jelly’s predators would be able to spot its meals glowing through its semi-transparent stomach. Because they live at depths between 900 and 7000 feet and don’t often come closer to the surface, gulper eels are rarely encountered in the wild, but they occasionally get swept up in commercial fishing nets.
The Mesopelagic Zone (200–1000 meters) – Twilight Zone
In fact, there are as many known species of deep-sea corals (also known as cold-water corals) as shallow-water species. Like shallow-water corals, deep-sea corals may exist as individual coral polyps, as diversely-shaped colonies containing many polyps of the same individual, and as reefs with many colonies made up of one or more species. They also serve as a habitat for deep sea creatures like sea stars and sharks. Unlike shallow-water corals, however, deep-sea corals don’t need sunlight.
Some creatures have adapted a way of life that takes advantage of both the plentiful surface waters and the safety of the deep. Scientists first learned of these symbiotic relationships through the study of the Riftia tubeworm. Upon first discovering hydrothermal communities in 1977, scientists were perplexed by the diversity and abundance of life. The worm’s blood red plumes filter the water and absorb both oxygen and hydrogen sulfide from the vents.
Abyssal plains cover over half the ocean floor, usually between depths of 3,000 to 6,000 meters. Potato-sized polymetallic nodules litter the surface of the abyssal plain, formed over millions of years from metals such as iron, copper, cobalt, manganese and nickel precipitate from seawater. These nodules provide a mosaic of hard substrate for a variety of organisms such as corals and sponges, and support diverse deep-sea communities. Nodules also host a vast array of microbial communities that play a critical role in nutrient and carbon cycling.
They are quite puzzling creatures, and it’s not Deep Sea the first time we’ve taken a look at the goblin shark. Their most famous feature is the glowing lure that dangles from their heads. In a realm with no sunlight, that bioluminescence is irresistible to unsuspecting prey.
Supporters of deep-sea mining argue it could, in theory, take the pressure off land-based mining. But the first priority should be reducing demand for virgin materials and increasing metal recycling, Oceana’s scientists say — not seeking pristine new areas to exploit. “We see no evidence that deep-sea mining would replace land-based mining — it seems more likely that it would only add to the overall pollution created by mining activities,” Bedolfe says. The same minerals found in the deep-sea are used for electric car batteries, wind turbine generators, and solar panels.
While coral reefs in shallow water are well studied and loved by people, very little is known about their deep sea relatives. We do know that many commercially important species like shrimps, crabs, groupers, rockfish, and snappers rely on deep sea coral reefs for shelter, but this is only based upon a limited number of studies and dives. Scientists, including Quattrini, continue to discover additional species that call deep sea coral reefs home, showing that there is still much to learn about the deep sea.
