The Deep Ocean

1The deep ocean is the least explored environment on Earth. More humans have walked on the surface of the Moon than have visited the deepest parts of the sea. The deep ocean begins roughly 200 metres below the surface, where sunlight can no longer penetrate, and extends all the way to the deepest known point on Earth, the Mariana Trench, which plunges to a depth of nearly 11,000 metres.

2In this world of perpetual darkness, pressure and freezing cold, life seems impossibly difficult. Yet the deep ocean teems with extraordinary creatures adapted to survive in conditions that would kill most living things. Bioluminescent animals produce their own light, using it to attract prey, communicate with others of their kind, or confuse predators in the absolute darkness.

3Some of the most bizarre creatures on Earth live in the deep sea. The anglerfish dangles a glowing lure above its enormous mouth to attract unsuspecting prey. The vampire squid, despite its alarming name, feeds not on blood but on marine snow, the tiny particles of organic matter that drift constantly down from the surface. Giant squid, once thought to be the stuff of sailors' legends, are now known to grow to lengths of over thirteen metres.

4Scientists are only beginning to understand what lives in the deep ocean. It is estimated that as many as ninety percent of deep-sea species have not yet been discovered. New species are found on almost every research expedition, and many of them look unlike anything seen on land or in shallow water.

5The deep ocean is not only home to extraordinary life but also plays a vital role in regulating the Earth's climate. Deep ocean currents transport heat and nutrients around the globe, and the ocean absorbs a significant proportion of the carbon dioxide produced by human activities. Protecting the deep ocean is therefore not just a matter of scientific curiosity, but of global necessity.