Natural World Facts

Sink in with this Coral Triangle documentary, the richest marine ecosystem on Earth, and explore the extraordinary reefs of Raja Ampat and the surrounding seas. From freaky frogfish and strange crabs hiding among coral to manta rays, whale sharks, blue whales, clownfish, sea snakes, and masters of camouflage like octopuses, this relaxing ocean documentary follows life across one of the most biodiverse underwater worlds on the planet. Drift through coral reefs alive with colour, mimicry, camouflage, hunting and survival. Enter deep reef caves where venomous sea snakes search for prey, watch reef creatures disappear into their surroundings, and encounter giants of the open ocean moving through the same tropical waters. With calming narration, underwater ambience, natural history and marine biology, this film is made for relaxation, sleep, study, focus, meditation, ASMR, or simply getting lost in the beauty of the ocean. If you love wildlife documentaries and relaxing nature films, marine life, coral reefs, ocean animals, underwater nature, Raja Ampat, Indonesia, and strange sea creatures, this is for you: an immersive journey into one of the wildest and most remarkable

Sink into this relaxing deep sea documentary, a calm descent (structured for deep sleep or relaxation) through some of the most iconic species and features of the twilight zone (mesopelagic), midnight zone (bathypelagic), abyssal plain, and hadal trenches. Designed for sleep, study, focus, meditation, and ASMR, this film blends ocean ambience, gentle narration, and fascinating scientific knowledge to give a “space documentary” feeling (but underwater and therefore far superior, wink wink). Meet real deep sea creatures: sixgill sharks, ghost sharks (chimaeras), bigfin squid (Magnapinna), telescope octopus, siphonophores (Bathyphysa), drifting jellyfish, and the quiet clean-up crew of the abyss... sea cucumbers and giant isopods. Visit hydrothermal vents, where chemosynthetic microbes power oases of life with giant tubeworms (Riftia pachyptila) and Pompeii worms; glide over seamount coral gardens and ancient sponge grounds; witness wood falls and whale falls turning darkness into cities of life; and pause at octopus nurseries warmed by gentle seepage. If you love interesting science videos, relaxing nature films, ocean sounds, or space vibes for sleep, this is for you; a calm, immersive journey where light is a language

In the deep ocean, life is divided between very different worlds. In the midwater, pelagic wanderers tread migratory routes that span entire oceans, and planktonic drifters and their predators take part in bioluminescent light shows. It is separated into zones based on depth, including the sunlight zone (epipelagic), twilight zone (mesopelagic), midnight zone (bathypelagic), abyssal and hadal zones. And below, lies the deep sea floor. A kingdom of mud and ooze, where sessile creatures cling to any solid outcrop and corals craft kingdoms on the seamount crusts. The worlds of the deep sea could not be more different, and yet their stories are fundamentally intertwined. In this episode, we delve into the Midnight Zone, a pitch-black zone of the deep sea where life has found peculiar ways to survive the immense pressure, from anglerfish to vampire squid to giant sharks. Episodes: 2 - The Midnight Zone - (this episode) 3 - The Abyssal Plain - coming soon 4 - Seamounts and Canyons - coming soon 5 - Hydrothermal Vents - coming soon Written, narrated and edited by me, Leo Richards.

Ocean Watch: A Tale of Deep Sea Exploration, created in collaboration with Schmidt Ocean Institute. Written, narrated and edited by me, Leo Richards. This channel (Natural World Facts) is my passion project dedicated to exploring the wonders of the natural world and telling stories that inspire! This film is unusual in that it is my first piece of contract work, commissioned by Schmidt Ocean Institute, who have kindly given me permission to post it here on the original video platform - so the style might seem a little different to usual, but I had a blast making it. The film premiered at the Royal Institution in London. See the film's outro for full credits. Thank you to everyone at SOI who recorded the footage, gave interviews, piloted the ROV, kept the ship running, and managed a boat-load (literally) of media and footage to make this film possible! If you love my content, you should check out Planet Wild. They're an environmental protection the original video platform channel from Berlin. They’re on a mission to protect biodiversity in troubled ecosystems around

In the deep ocean, life is concentrated at chemosynthetic oases where primary production is made possible via chemosynthesis at cold seeps and deep sea hydrothermal vents. The non-chemosynthetic regions of the deep are divided into two very different worlds. First is the midwater, where pelagic wanderers tread migratory routes that span entire oceans, and planktonic drifters and their predators take part in bioluminescent light shows. It is separated into zones based on depth, including the sunlight zone (epipelagic), twilight zone (mesopelagic), midnight zone (bathypelagic), abyssal and hadal zones. And below, lies the deep sea floor. A kingdom of mud and ooze, where sessile creatures cling to any solid outcrop and corals craft kingdoms on the seamount crusts. The worlds of the deep sea could not be more different, and yet their stories are fundamentally intertwined. In this episode, we delve into the Twilight Zone. Episodes: 1 - The Twilight Zone 2 - The Midnight Zone - coming soon 3 - The Abyssal Plain - coming soon 4 - Seamounts and Canyons - coming soon 5 - Hydrothermal Vents - coming

Deep sea (abyssal) gigantism demonstrates the role of natural selection in driving evolution and survival, particularly in an environment characterised by challenging conditions and limited resources. Evolution tends towards the most effective adaptations to grant animals the best chances of survival. And whether large or small, evolution selects for the best-adapted body size to survive these conditions. Though widely debated and often controversial, the research that has been done into the science behind deep sea gigantism has significant implications in the human world; it is believed that climate change may have a greater impact on ocean dwellers than any other population of animals. As the colder oceans warm up, the balance of temperature, oxygen supply, and what organisms are present, will throw the equilibrium off course. And the giants, which rely so heavily on this fine balance, may be the first to go. Written, Narrated and Edited by Leo Richards I do not own any of the footage. I write the script, narrate, and edit what footage I can find, which is allowed due to the original video platform's 'Fair

The degradation of food-falls at the bottom of the ocean can create partially chemosynthetic environments. In the case of sunken whale carcasses (whale falls), the supply of organic material supports an ecological succession of communities. But perhaps less well-documented than the scavengers at whale-falls are the creatures that rely on wood instead. When trees become uprooted by storms or ships capsize at sea, losing their buoyancy as the pressure of the ocean forces out any air trapped within, bits of wood sink to the ocean floor where they create fleeting oases of life (wood falls), including shipwrecks, like that of the Titanic. The scarcity of food in parts of the deep ocean creates an environment where very little goes to waste. The animal and microbial life that dwells down here has become resourceful, able to make the most of even unexpected resources. So it comes as no surprise that the deep ocean hosts complex biological communities adapted to thrive on this sunken wood. Written, Narrated and Edited by Leo Richards I do not own any of the footage. I write

The geological origins of cold seeps differ from hydrothermal vents. While vents form from volcanic activity at sea-floor spreading regions, cold seeps instead arise at the other end of oceanic plates, where they are subducted at the continental margin. Their formation begins with the burial of organic material under sediments on the sea-floor. These organic compounds degrade over time, producing methane. Over time, geological processes such as the tectonic compression of sediments at subduction zones forces the methane from deep reservoirs up through the overlying sediments. Anaerobic microbes dwelling below the sediment surface oxidise this methane using sulphate, producing hydrogen sulphide and bicarbonate ions as a byproduct. This hydrogen sulphide, along with any residual methane, then serves as a vital energy source for **chemosynthetic** microbes. Thus, it is a consortium of two distinct sets of microbes that makes primary productivity possible at cold seeps and lay the foundations of food webs here. The result is an environment remarkably similar to hydrothermal vents. We have a flux of sulphide and methane at the sea-floor, chemosynthetic microbes using these compounds, and an

The process of chemosynthesis is similar to photosynthesis. Both can be defined as the creation of organic matter from the fixation of inorganic carbon using energy. But what differs is the source of that energy. In parts of the deep sea, primary production is fuelled by chemical energy, rather than energy from the sun. But this can only take place at certain sea-floor environments where the required chemicals are released into the water. The two main examples of such environments are hydrothermal vents, and cold seeps. The former were only discovered in 1977 when scientists were exploring an oceanic spreading ridge near the Galapagos Islands. What they discovered was a hidden world that revolutionised our understanding of how and where life on Earth can exist. Since then, hundreds more vent field have been discovered, often at depths of 2km or more, along Earth’s convergent plate boundaries and at sea-floor spreading regions where the oceanic crust is moving apart. Written, Narrated and Edited by Leo Richards Vent Animation custom made by Fabio Albertelli and Jakub Misiek I do not own any

Deep Sea Aggregations Explained. In the deep sea, going alone is rarely an option. The harsh environments of the deep ocean are an imposing challenge for a lone organism to face, as the dark conceals many dangers, while dazzling bioluminescence deceives unwitting prey. For this reason, deep sea animals tend not to spread out. Instead, wherever possible, they come together in their masses to create abundant patches of life in the lonely depths. Hotspots of biodiversity, in stark contrast with the otherwise barren stretch of darkness. Safety in numbers is a fool-proof survival strategy that increases their chances of finding food, evading predation, or having reproductive success in the endless blue. From vibrant coral gardens and deep sea scavenger communities, to expansive jellyfish blooms that cloud the ocean surface, these are the animal aggregations of the oceans. I do not own any of the footage. I write the script, narrate, and edit what footage I can find, which is allowed due to the original video platform's 'Fair Use' policy as these films are for educational purposes. Footage used belongs to

Molluscs like cephalopods and gastropods dominate the marine world. Inhabiting nearly every ecosystem from shallow reefs to deep sea vents and the pelagic midwater, the success of molluscs is unparalleled. Nearly 25% of all marine organisms are molluscs, including such oddities as sea snails, nudibranchs, and coleoids like squid with their specialised tentacles. Even the snails you might find in your garden belong to the molluscs, for this is the only phylum with species found in the sea, freshwater and on land. A testament to their adaptability. With an estimated 85,000 living species known to science, the abundance and diversity of molluscs is what allows them to occupy a great many niches and habitats, and diversify into an assortment of shapes and sizes. The smallest meiofauna molluscs grow to just 0.4 mm long, while in the pelagic deep they dominate as voracious predators, looming out of the dark. This is the alien world of molluscs. I do not own any of the footage. I write the script, narrate, and edit what footage I can find. Footage used belongs to the

The deep sea is a world of challenges. Pressure increases rapidly. In the mesopelagic zone, the light of the sun becomes a faint glow, and at 1,000 metres down, the midnight zone is bathed in darkness. And yet, even in this bitter uninviting world of cold shadows, a myriad of peculiar creatures have made their homes, dramatically adapting their anatomy, behaviours and physiologies in order to cope with the challenge of living here. In this film, we’ll take a look at the unique ways in which these otherworldly creatures have adapted to thrive as masters of the deep dark sea. I do not own any of the footage. I write the script, narrate, and edit what footage I can find, which is allowed due to the original video platform's 'Fair Use' policy as these films are for educational purposes. Footage used belongs to the incredible marine conservation societies of Schmidt Ocean Institute, MBARI, WHOI and the Ocean Exploration Institute, along with various other the original video platform sources. Music Used: Midnight by Jorge Mendez Fallen by Jorge Mendez Changes by

The marine carbon cycle consists of the biological pump, the carbonate pump and the physical pump. The biological processes of respiration, predation, death and decomposition, along with physical processes such as the thermohaline circulation, work together to remove carbon from the atmosphere and sequester it in the oceans. In this video we'll explore what makes the oceans a net carbon sink, and why the marine world is so important to the global carbon cycle. I do not own any of the footage. I write the script, narrate, and edit what footage I can find, which is allowed due to the original video platform's 'Fair Use' policy as these films are created for educational purposes. Footage used belongs to the incredible marine conservation societies of MBARI, WHOI, Schmidt Ocean and the Ocean Exploration Institute, along with various other the original video platform sources. Music Used: Separated by the Storm by Gareth Coker Now Use the Light, We Want to See! by Gareth Coker Kwolok's Throne Room by Gareth Coker The Darkness Lifted by Gareth Coker Silent Woodlands by Gareth Coker Bibliography

Cartilaginous fish and jawless fish are quite different to bony fish. These two groups, also known as Chondrichthyes and Agnatha respectively, build their skeletons using cartilage. A tough but flexible tissue, lighter than bone, that allows them to maintain neutral buoyancy without any need for a swim bladder. In this video we'll take a look at the differences between jawless fish and cartilaginous fish, and discuss their adaptations and behaviours within the deep sea ecosystem. I do not own any of the footage. I write the script, narrate, and edit what footage I can find. Footage used belongs to the incredible marine conservation societies of MBARI, WHOI and the Ocean Exploration Institute, along with various other the original video platform sources. Music Used: Alone We Have No Future by Ludvig Forssell The Face of Our New Hope by Ludvig Forssell An Endless Beach by Ludvig Forssell Fragile by Ludvig Forssell A Final Waltz by Ludvig Forssell Bibliography

The deep sea is rife with competition and conflict. Deep sea biodiversity relies on the scattered organisms interacting in order to survive, whether they’re working together in symbiosis, scavenging, being predated, or parasitising a host animal. But there is one ecological interaction that does more than any other to influence organisms to change and diversify, and thus plays an important role in the success of deep sea communities. The limited resources mean only a small number of niches can exist. Thus, there is greater competition between different species trying to fill the same niches. This explains why the deep sea has so much competition, for animals must share the ecosystem with other competing species all trying to consume the same limited resources. Footage used belongs to the incredible marine conservation societies of Schmidt Ocean Institute (who are absolutely brilliant and you should check out their full-length ROV dives on the original video platform), MBARI, WHOI and the Ocean Exploration Institute, along with various other the original video platform sources. Music Used: Home by Jorge Mendez Amnesia by Jorge Mendez Away

The Hidden World of Oceanic Islands. Oceanic Islands make up a sixth of all land on Earth. In the Pacific alone, more than 25,000 islands are scattered amidst the endless blue. From Hawaii's rocky mountains, to coral atolls of the Maldives, each hosting unique communities of life and species found nowhere else on Earth. Ecosystems that would not exist if not for the powerful forces that pulled these mighty rocks from the abyss. Volcanism, and tectonics. I do not own any of the footage. I write the script, narrate, and edit what footage I can find, which is allowed due to the original video platform's 'Fair Use' policy. Footage used is from various the original video platform sources. Due to the sheer number of sources used, I'm unable to list them all here. If I've used your footage and you would like to be credited, let me know and I'll add a link to your video and channel here. Music Used: No Field Was Formed by Austin Wintory Secret Garden by Nocturne Ichthyosaurus Communis by Austin Wintory Elasmosaurus Platyurus by

After almost a year's absence from the original video platform, Leo is back with a brand new half-hour documentary filmed in Africa in the summer of 2017. Join Leo on his journey across southern Africa to explore the fascinating wildlife that calls Africa home. In the first episode of this two-part series, the Natural World Facts team head to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe before travelling to Chobe National Park in Botswana. All footage is original and filmed by the NWF team. This was my first full-length documentary project, filmed in the summer of 2017 while on location in Zimbabwe. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and all I took (apart from suncream and far too few clothes) was my little handheld camera, and some SD cards with barely enough memory. What came out of it is this, a half-hour documentary featuring all original footage presented by myself, and I'm very happy with it. It took about a year to edit, with very limited resources by way of CPU but (luckily) access to Final Cut Pro. I hope you enjoy it