The world is covered in water, which boating enthusiasts appreciate like no one else. Some of us love this hobby because it allows us to relax, some of us love the sporting aspects, and some of us simply appreciate having more time to spend in nature.
The oceans and seas of the world are filled with diverse ecosystems, some of which we tap into when fishing or diving. But there are other, more mysterious and intriguing parts of the oceans that most boat owners never reach.
We’ve talked about the dangerous creatures that can live in the ocean, and we've touched on aquatic ecosystems across a wide range of topics. But today, we're going to look at the mysterious world of deep-sea creatures and what they mean for us as a species.
Ocean Life
Most of us are familiar with ocean life, at least in the abstract. We know that there are lots of fish, mammals, crustaceans, and other creatures in the sea, along with coral, plant life, and microorganisms.
But the reality is the slices of ocean that we're familiar with represent only a small portion of the total picture.
There are several layers of the ocean:
- The sunlight zone. The surface layer of the ocean is sometimes called the sunlight zone, because it's where sunlight still has an impact. This extends down about 200 metres (660 feet), and the temperatures range between just below freezing to over 30° C (over 86° F), depending on where you are in the world. Most people are familiar with this layer, and very few spend any time seeing or studying creatures below it.
- The midwater zone/twilight zone. The midwater zone, or the twilight zone, is so named because it's deeper than the sunlight zone but still doesn't begin to enter the true depths of the ocean. From about 200 metres below the surface, this layer extends to 1,000 metres (3,300 feet) below the surface. Here, sunlight begins to have difficulty penetrating, so organisms begin to develop alternative solutions for navigating and looking for food. It's here that we start to see bioluminescent organisms, which can produce their own light.
- The midnight zone. In the midnight zone, which extends to roughly 4,000 metres (13,100 feet) below the surface, there is perpetual darkness. The only light at this layer comes from bioluminescent organisms, which are still somewhat numerous. The pressure is extremely high, at more than 40 megapascals (5,800 pounds per square inch), but some creatures we are familiar with, like sperm whales, can dive here temporarily.
- The abyssal zone. Believe it or not, there are layers below that. Stretching from the midnight zone to 6,000 metres (19,700 feet) below the surface, we have the abyssal zone, which is constantly pitch black. The water here is extremely cold, and the conditions are at such high pressures that very few organisms can survive. It's estimated that approximately 75 percent of the ocean’s deepest floors exist at this level.
- The hadalpelagic zone. The hadalpelagic zone is the lowest area of the ocean we know of, which extends as deep as 10,984 metres (36,037 feet) below the surface in the Marianas Trench. The pressure there is in excess of 123 megapascals (8 tons per square inch). Yet even here, there are forms of life.
Life at the Bottom of the Oceans
By volume, our planet’s habitats is 99.5 percent ocean water. It makes a great home for thousands, potentially even millions of different species. But life at and near the bottom of the oceans is very different, and for several reasons.
Ecosystems develop slowly over the course of millions of years, responding to environmental pressures and changes in conditions that make some species more likely to thrive than others. Very gradually, organisms specialise in different niches and develop different traits to help them and their descendants survive.
In the deepest oceans, these are the conditions that have caused the creation of such strange and interesting creatures:
- Lack of light. One of the most prominent features of the deep sea is a lack of light. Because of this, many animals make their own light through bioluminescence or rely on other senses to serve their needs.
- High pressures. Because of the enormous pressure in the deep, conventional body structures simply don't work.
- Extreme temperatures. Similarly, the extreme temperatures make certain types of life unviable. The bottom of the ocean is extremely cold, with thermal vents creating pockets of extremely high temperatures.
- Other creatures and interactions. Ecosystems rely on the interactions of multiple species, but the layers of ocean make these interactions difficult. Many creatures near the bottom of the sea rely on miscellaneous materials drifting down from layers closer to the surface to survive.
A New Era of Discovery
It's tempting to think we've already explored the oceans, but in reality, we've barely scratched the surface. Until recently, it's been practically impossible to conduct observations or studies of creatures that live in the deep oceans. We simply haven't had the technologies or machines necessary to reach these areas or navigate them safely.
In recent years, we've seen a number of breakthroughs, including remotely operated submersibles and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), as well as superior cameras and recording equipment. These have allowed marine biologists and other researchers to see the deepest parts of the oceans in a new light.
Examples of Unique Deep-Sea Creatures
There, researchers have found a wide variety of unique deep-sea creatures, including:
- The anglerfish. You've probably seen depictions of the anglerfish, even if you didn't recognise it as such. Anglerfish in the deep sea have a long antenna with a bioluminescent lure at the end, which is used to attract unsuspecting animals to the area so the anglerfish can eat them. Anglerfish are also known for their strange mating behaviours, in which small males permanently attach to larger females.
- The vampire squid. The vampire squid is so named not because it drinks blood from the necks of mammals, but because it has black and red webbing, as well as red eyes. To be sure, this creature is truly horrifying, but it mostly feeds on detritus floating down from higher levels of the ocean. As you might expect, it's bioluminescent, and when agitated, it lights up in an impressive display.
- The giant isopod. If you didn't know any better, you might suspect that the giant isopod of the deep ocean was a prehistoric creature. They look like massive insects, but they function as carnivores and scavengers, eating carcasses of whales, fish, and other animals that drift down to the bottom of the sea.
- Giant siphonophore. The giant siphonophore barely looks like an animal at all. Although it can stretch up to 130 feet in length, it looks more like a glorified pipe cleaner. It's a bioluminescent creature with distinctive biology, and it's made up of a collection of highly specialized working parts.
- Bloodybelly comb jelly. One of the prettiest and most mysterious animals in the deepest ocean is the bloodybelly comb jelly, which is covered in tiny cilia and is vaguely reminiscent of a beating heart. Because the deep ocean is dark and shaded blue, this red animal is practically invisible to its would-be predators.
- The sea pig. The sea pig looks nothing like a pig, and it's more closely related to the sea cucumber. However, it roots through the bottom of the ocean, much like a pig, looking for algae and other particles that it can eat.
- The flapjack octopus. The cutely named flapjack octopus is relatively small, with short arms and ear-like fins to help it manoeuvre. At a distance, you might mistake it for a jellyfish.
- The sea angel. Despite the heavenly name, the sea angel is really a type of slug. It's very small and it has structures similar to wings that allow it to swim in the open water. They exclusively eat a particular species of pteropods.
- The Japanese spider crab. The Japanese spider crab has an enormous leg span of 12 feet and it looks like a typical spider, but it typically spends its days crawling the ocean bottom in search of dead and decaying carcasses to eat.
- The blobfish. You've probably seen photos of the infamous blobfish, but these photos are mostly taken on the surface, where the relatively low pressure causes this poor creature to unnaturally expand. This fish is somewhat gelatinous in appearance, and it doesn't move around much. However, it's one of the strangest and most unique creatures you can find in the deep.
- Sloane’s viperfish. Sloane's viperfish is another terrifying looking creature, with long, needle-like teeth and powerful jaws. These teeth are so big that they don't fit neatly into the mouth, and the jaws can open very wide to trap unsuspecting prey.
- Tiny species. Let's not forget about all the tiny critters floating around in the ocean deep, including plankton, bacteria, algae, and other microorganisms.
Hydrothermal Vent Ecosystems
It's also worth noting a particular ecosystem within this subset, based around hydrothermal vents. Hydrothermal vents are arguably the most extreme conditions on the planet, with extremely high temperatures, high pressure, and little chance for traditional life to survive.
Despite this, scientists have recently discovered worms, plankton, and other forms of life that can survive in these conditions. In fact, there's an entire miniature ecosystem thriving off these hydrothermal vents. This has opened the door to new research opportunities for marine biologists, and it has reshaped our conceptualisation of what is possible in terms of life.
Why Should We Care?
Why should we care about deep-sea creatures? After all, aren't they so deep in the ocean and so removed from our typical interactions that they aren't going to have much of an impact on us directly?
- It’s cool. First, many people simply find it fascinating to learn about and study these magnificent creatures. They look and act like aliens in many respects, and they deviate from what we consider to be normal in the natural world. Even if you never find yourself at the bottom of the sea, you can imagine what it might be like – and once you've seen what some of these creatures look like, it's quite an entertaining thought.
- It helps us understand life on Earth. Biologists are especially interested in understanding life at the bottom of the ocean because it helps us understand life in other areas much better. For example, the crustaceans, jellyfish, and other familiar creatures at the bottom of the ocean are very different from their cousins near the surface, and understanding those differences can help us better understand each species’ role in their respective environment. Understanding the evolutionary biology of creatures in the deep can also help us apply those principles to organisms in other niches.
- It helps us understand life elsewhere. Funnily enough, deep-sea life could also help us understand how life works on other planets. If an organism can survive at the highest pressures of the bottom of the ocean, it can probably survive anywhere. That includes planets with no atmosphere, insanely high pressure, insanely high gravity, or extreme temperatures. In fact, the conditions on Mars are arguably more favourable to life than conditions in hydrothermal vent ecosystems. Studying such bizarre, unfamiliar creatures is also good practice for how we might study equally alien creatures around the solar system (should we ever find them).
- It could lead us to important discoveries. Also, nature is bountiful when it comes to scientific discovery. You never know when a mysterious creature might hold the key to some new disease cure or engineering technique. This is especially true when we're looking at creatures in particularly extreme environments, as they're likely to have adaptations we've never before seen or considered.
- It makes us care about nature. Finally, presenting weird and extreme organisms is a way to make other people care about nature. If you know how big, elusive, and magical the deep-sea environment is, you'll be less likely to throw your trash in the ocean and more likely to support causes that protect the environment.
Getting Better Acquainted with the Deep
You probably won't be able to dive to the bottom of the ocean with a commercially available yacht. Even if you could, it's probably going to be hundreds of years before we have a concrete understanding of how life works in the deepest parts of the ocean.
But if this article has piqued your interest, or if you just have a pressing desire to learn more about aquatic environments and the creatures who live there, you should consider purchasing a new boat – and using it to better acquaint yourself with this distinctive biome.
Are you ready to find the perfect vessel for your operations? Check out our vast selection of new and used boats for sale today!