Discovering Deep Sea Swarms | Safety in Numbers

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

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

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

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 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