Deep Ocean: Research & Exploration
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Diversity
Strange Creatures of the Deep
This recently discovered hairy crab species (Kiwa puravida) has no eyes.
A. Fifis, Ifremer/ChEss, Census of Marine Life
It’s hard to imagine a more forbidding place than the icy cold, pitch black, crushing environment of the deep ocean. It’s even harder to imagine anything living there. But researchers are discovering that thousands of fascinating animals—including fishes, corals, crustaceans, jellyfishes, and worms—have adapted to life in this challenging environment.
Many of these creatures look quite alien to us. Some have huge eyes—or eyes on long stalks—that capture the little existing light. Others seem to be all mouth. Their gaping jaws—often filled with fanglike teeth—are always open, ready to capture whatever morsels fall from above. Still other deep sea animals have transparent bodies that you can see through, enabling them to blend right in to the waters.
Take a look at a few examples.
Smithsonian Links
Census of Marine Life
Making Ocean Life Count
Census researchers discovered this sea cucumber (Enypniastes sp.) in the Gulf of Mexico.
Laurence Madin, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution/CMarZ, Census of Marine Life
It seems like a herculean task to figure out what lives in something as vast as the ocean. But the 10-year-long Census of Marine Life project is doing just that. This network of scientists from more than 80 nations is documenting the diversity, distribution, and abundance of life in the oceans—past, present, and future. So far researchers have discovered more than 5,000 new species. They expect to find many more. The first-ever census of marine life will be released in 2010.
The Census is exploring ocean life from top to bottom, pole to pole, microbes to whales. Several field projects focus on deep ocean habitats—seamounts, hydrothermal vents, the ocean floor, and the waters around the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Project results will play a critical role in deciding how to manage this valuable global resource.
Smithsonian Links
Ocean Drilling
Drilling Beneath the Ocean Floor
This Japanese research ship drills into the ocean floor to learn about Earth’s history and structure.
Adapted from JAMSTEC & Brian T. Huber/Smithsonian Institution
In Japanese Chikyu means “Earth”—and that’s what this formidable research vessel, completed in 2005, was designed to study. It can drill up to 7,000 meters (23,000 feet) below the ocean floor to obtain sediments from Earth’s crust. No other research ship has ever drilled that deep. The derrick holding the Chikyu's drill stands 100 m (328 feet) high—the tallest in the world. It is the only ship in the world able to drill into earthquake zones. And one day, researchers hope, it will be the first ship to drill all the way to Earth’s mantle.
The Chikyu is part of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), a marine research program supported by 24 countries. By collecting and analyzing sediments from below the seafloor, IODP is increasing our understanding of Earth’s history, structure, and changing environment.
Smithsonian Links
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Comments
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 04/15/2010 - 4:47pm.
The link to the Washington Post article about the Census doesn't work.
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 04/28/2010 - 11:31am.
Some of the captions, even zoomed to 200%, were still hard to read. The words on the Japanese Research Ship poster were very unreadable.
Submitted by Ocean Portal Team on Mon, 05/03/2010 - 4:57pm.
Thanks for letting us know. If you haven't already, it might help to click through to the larger version of the image of the Japanese research ship, which can be found here: http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-photos/deep-sea-drilling-vessel-chikyu
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I think it is really cool and I just went here because we might go there or go snowbording then if we go here I can give them the update