A translucent and red jellyfish floating in dark blue, deep ocean water.

Deep Sea

Preview

Octocorals dominated the seafloor on Chris Mah's Okeanos mission to Johnston Atoll in the remote Pacific Ocean.

Deep-sea Corals Overview

Did you know that corals not only grow in coastal reefs but in the deep ocean as well? This overview dives into everything to know about deep-sea corals.

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Featured Content

A variety of corals cling to Manning Seamount, just off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Seamounts, A Deep-Sea Habitat

a deep sea jellyfish

The Deep Sea

red worms penetrate holes in bone

Zombie Worms Crave Bone

Meet the Tiny Bacteria That Give Anglerfishes Their Spooky Glow

A deep sea anglerfish called a dreamer

The Gulf of Mexico: A Deep-Sea Treasure Trove of Fishes

Are You An Educator?

At Smithsonian Ocean, we have lesson plans, activities, and resources to help you engage your students in the wonders of our oceans.

see all lesson plans see deep sea lesson plans

Deep Sea Articles

a screenshot of a ship

Science in a Time of Crisis: Assessing the Impacts

a dumbo octopus in the deep ocean

The Dumbo Octopus: An Underwater Dance

a pink coral

Corals in the Juan de Fuca Canyon and the Davidson Seamount

different kinds of deep sea corals

Aleutian Islands Deep-Sea Corals

a deep-sea submersible

Submersible Collects Deep-Sea Corals

the powerpoint and speaker of a lecture

Drugs From the Deep with Shirley Pomponi

a speaker at the podium

Bioluminescence in Art and Science with Edie Widder

A screenshot from the video showing a bioluminescent seastar.

The Weird, Wonderful World of Bioluminescence

A screenshot from the video showing illustration of a whale at the surface of water at night.

Life After Whale (On Whale Falls)

A screenshot from the video showing equipment on a research vessel.

Wavechasers and the Samoan Passage

A screenshot from the video "Discover Deep-sea Corals in Maine" with deep-sea corals.

Discover Deep-sea Corals in Maine

Down below where the sunlight cannot penetrate, the ocean is a dark, cold and alien landscape. Can life really exist in such an extreme environment? NOAA Ocean Today Every Full Moon takes a look at the bizarre and remarkable creatures that persist in the d

Creep into the Deep

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NOAA