Deep Ocean Exploration

right_cap_top

A deep-sea octopod wraps itself around a submersible’s robotic arm in the Gulf of Mexico.
A deep-sea octopod wraps itself around a submersible’s robotic arm in the Gulf of Mexico.
2007 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, All Rights Reserved

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 200 meters (one monument), and you notice that light starts fading rapidly. Dive deeper. The temperature drops and pressure rises. At 4,000 meters (20 monuments), the temperature hovers around freezing, and there’s no sunlight at all. Yet there is life—an astounding variety of creatures that boggle your mind. You can’t dive to the deep ocean on your own, of course. But scientists now have a variety of sophisticated technologies to explore this vast frontier. What they’re finding will amaze you.

“80% of biodiversity is under water and yet we know more about the moon than the deep ocean.”

– Carl Gustaf Lundin, Head of IUCN’s Global Marine Programme

Explore Related Ocean Pages

View Related Ocean Media Content

Cool Stuff

Deep Ocean: Cool Stuff

Photograph of the underside of a gelatinous octopus with a bright yellow bioluminescent ring around her mouth.

Animals that put on spectacular underwater light shows. Mysterious tracks in the mud. Entire mountain chains completely covered by water. Scalding water spewing from the ocean floor. Amazing—but true!

Read More

Section

Collections

A Smithsonian specimen helped identify a new family of deep sea squid with long spindly legs.

Follow “The Case of the Mystery Squid” to find out how specimens in museums solve real mysteries in the deep sea. Hint: It’s not the butler, but check out the bigfin squid. Then read about some of the many other ways dead, colorless specimens tell us about living, colorful creatures of the sea.

Read More

Research & Exploration

This recently discovered hairy crab species (Kiwa hirsuta) has no eyes.

Here’s your chance to dive to the icy cold, pitch black depths of the ocean from the comfort of your chair. Gawk at bizarre creatures with transparent bodies and fins like Dumbo’s ears. Meet scientists who are trying to count everything in the ocean and others who drill deep into the Earth through the ocean floor.

Read More

Tools & Technology

The research submersible Alvin uses bright lights to illuminate the dark seafloor.

Check out some amazing vehicles that carry intrepid scientists to remote realms to study the ocean’s deepest, darkest parts. Take a tour of a submersible, and see a picture of the deepest diving vehicle currently in service. If that’s not amazing enough, look for the robots that map earthquakes and monitor volcanoes on the ocean floor.

Read More

Scientists

Dr. Vecchione served as Chief Scientist on this 2009 expedition to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Meet a NOAA scientist who’s traveled to the deep ocean many times. What was it like? What did he see? Why the white helmet? And what does he do when he’s back on dry land? Find out here.

Read More

comment_wrapper_curve_top

Share your comments here.

* When you click submit, your comment will be added to the queue for review and will be published after approval.

  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Filtered words will be replaced with the filtered version of the word.

More information about formatting options

Comments

Lots of really cool stuff to investigate.

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 12/09/2009 - 11:45pm.

In the menu at upper left, it might make more sense to move the "Collections" link down to below "Scientists." Also, in the main navbar, the heading "Ocean Science" seems to overlap a lot with "Ocean life and Ecosystems." I would suggest renaming this item "Ocean Research."

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 01/05/2010 - 6:22pm.

I think this is an amazing website and I will learn all that I can about the ocean and ocean life.

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 03/08/2010 - 2:46pm.

This site is well done and educative.Keep up the good work . Thank you for your sacrifice!

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 03/25/2010 - 11:29pm.

I totally agree! Thankyou! whats a BLOOP?

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 04/29/2010 - 10:27pm.

Great question! The "bloop" sound remains a mystery. Scientists use instruments called hydrophones to record sounds in sea, and the mysterious "bloop" was recorded off the Pacific coast of South America several times during the summer of 1997. Learn more about recording and interpreting sounds in the sea on NOAA’s Ocean Explorer page.

Submitted by Ocean Portal Team on Mon, 05/03/2010 - 1:02pm.

Love the photo of our eight-armed friend, but give the viewer information about it! (Where it's shot; the equipment being hugged; are all octopi that orange?)

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 04/23/2010 - 7:37pm.

it is very beautfull

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 07/15/2011 - 8:20am.

cool

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 09/02/2011 - 2:01pm.

Great for scientific research

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 05/15/2012 - 1:29pm.

comment_wrapper_curve