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Ocean Portal by The Smithsonian Institution

Deep Sea

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IMAGE GALLERY Deep Ocean Diversity See some of the remarkable adaptations that deep-sea animals have evolved. Learn more about their habitat and how marine scientists research it in our Deep Ocean Exploration section.MORE GALLERIES


	ARTICLE MORE STORIES From Submarines to Robots: Exploring the Deep Ocean Filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer James Cameron on March 25, 2012, beca...
	BLOG POST MORE STORIES Summer in a Sub: DROP Down to Discovery You never know where following your passions can take you. I came to the Smithso...
	PHOTO MORE PHOTOS Millions of Brittlestars A huge colony of brittlestars (likely Ophiacantha rosea) covers the peak of a se...

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					Searching for Crustaceans in the Deep Sea May 16, 2013 - 9:04AMIn this video Smithsonian research zoologist Dr. Martha Nizinski takes viewers with her as she searches for crustaceans in the deep sea. She's particularly interested in finding squat lobsters, which despite their name, are...

Zombie Worms Eating Whale Bone

May 13, 2013 - 9:23AM

Zombie worms (Osedax roseus) eat away at the bones of a dead whale that has...

Scaly Dragonfish

May 8, 2013 - 9:26AM

The long barbel on the chin of this dragonfish (Stomias boa) has a glowing...

SPOTLIGHT


Marine Snow: A Staple of the Deep Snow on land can make some people grumpy, but the magical-looking flakes and a beautiful layer on the trees can turn even...

Bioluminescence in Art and Science with Edie Widder Feb 28 2013 - 4:20pm Dr. Edie Widder spoke at the National Museum of Natural History as a part of the Changing Tides Lecture Series and discussed her work on underwater light: light chemically produced by animals through a process called bioluminescence. The beauty of light-producing animals intersects with light art...	Chimaera from the Deep Oct 1 2012 - 8:44am This rarely-seen smalleyed rabbitfish (Hydrolagus affinis), belonging to the order of Chimaera, was caught during a research trip to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in 2004 sponsored by the Census of Marine Life. In Greek mythology, chimeras were beasts that were part lion, part snake and part goat,...
Auster Diving with Sea Lion Jul 27 2011 - 12:15pm A sea lion in the Sea of Cortez observes Dr. Peter Auster as he observes reef fishes. Learn more about deep-sea coral reefs in our Deep-sea Corals article.	Deep-Sea Coral Habitat Jun 8 2011 - 4:42pm Rockfish, anemones, and other invertebrates inhabit this deep-sea coral reef in Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of California.
Deep-Sea Coral Sample Jul 27 2011 - 11:33am In the wet lab aboard the R/V Seward Johnson, Dr. Martha Nizinski examines a sample of the deep-sea coral Lophelia pertusa, collected 600-m (1,969-ft) deep off the coast of the southeastern United States.	Zoanthids on Hydrothermal Vent Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am Flower-like zoanthids, relatives of coral, carpet a hydrothermal vent. This species of zoanthid is the first ever discovered at a hydrothermal vent. See more pictures of incredible deep sea diversity at our slideshow!
Deep-Sea Worms Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am These deep-sea photographs show a variety of broad-collared enteropneusts or acorn worms. These wormlike animals make spiral tracks on the sea floor. All the species shown here are new to science, and most have not yet been collected by scientists. More about deep ocean exploration can be found in...	Deep Reef Observation Project (DROP) Video Jul 5 2011 - 1:19pm Dr. Carole Baldwin, a research zoologist and fish expert with the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, gives viewers an inside-look at the Deep Reef Observation Project (DROP). She and her colleagues are trying to understand the biodiversity in coral reefs near Curaçao, an island in...
Phronima Jan 22 2013 - 10:53am This tiny, shrimplike creature is no more than 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) long, but it’s as ferocious as a shark. Its giant eyes spot prey. Huge claws grab the prey, and a tiny mouth rips it to shreds. The prey never sees what’s coming, because Phronima’s transparent body blends into the surrounding...	Tubeworms on a Hydrothermal Vent (Riftia) Dec 6 2012 - 11:52am Riftia tubeworm (Riftia pachyptila) colonies grow where hot, mineral-laden water flows out of the seafloor in undersea hot springs—such as the Guymas Basin of the Gulf of California at 2,000 meters (6562 feet), where MBARI took this photo. As volcanic activity deep below the seafloor changes,...
Venus Fly-Trap Anemone in the Gulf of Mexico Aug 3 2010 - 10:07am Researchers photographed this Venus fly-trap anemone (Actinoscyphia sp.) in the Gulf of Mexico. These elegant, deep-water animals can be found at roughly 4,900 feet (1500 meters). See more photos from the Census of Marine Life.	Seamounts: Underwater Oases Dec 4 2009 - 3:45pm Thousands of seamounts—most of them undersea volcanoes—tower above the muddy seafloor. They provide something hard to come by in the deep ocean: a solid surface to cling to. Corals, sponges, and other marine animals attach themselves in dense colonies to seamount slopes. As the animals grow and...
A Striped Deep Sea Worm Apr 4 2013 - 12:38pm In Antarctica's Southern Ocean swims a beautiful polychaete (bristly worm) called Tomopteris carpenteri, which is adorned with alternating red and transparent bands. The largest species in its genus, it it found throughout the water column, including the deep sea, where this photo was taken by...	Deep-Sea Corals Worldwide Jun 7 2011 - 9:14am This map shows where some of the most significant species of deep-sea corals are located. Learn more about the distribution and ecology of deep ocean corals in the article "Coral Gardens of the Deep Sea."
Fangtooth Fish Dec 7 2009 - 11:10pm This aptly named fish (Anoplogaster cornuta) has long, menacing fangs, but the adult fish is small, reaching only about 6 inches (17 cm) in length. It's teeth are the largest in the ocean in proportion to body size, and are so long that the fangtooth has an adaptation so that it can close its mouth...	The Deep Sea Jul 24 2012 - 1:41pm Deep below the ocean’s surface is a mysterious world that takes up 95% of Earth’s living space. It could hide 20 Washington Monuments stacked on top of each other. But the deep sea remains largely unexplored. Dive down 650 feet (one monument or 200 meters), and you notice that light starts fading...