The discovery of the deepest fish in a Japanese trench raises the question, what else is out there? But before the mind leaps to all things dark and spooky, take a fresh look at life in the deep sea.
The ocean twilight zone could store vast amounts of carbon captured from the atmosphere, but first we need a 4D monitoring system to ensure ramping up carbon storage does no harm.
Unless we know what is in the ocean, we can’t protect the biggest part of the planet.
The interior of a replica 1930 Bathysphere, as used by scientist William Beebe and engineer Otis Barton to explore the oceans depths.
Dominic Lipinski/PA Images
We know very little about the deep sea and how its inhabitants, including anglerfish, will respond to change. In fact, more people have walked on the Moon than have been to the bottom of the ocean.
The pressure in the deepest part of the ocean can be 1,000 times greater than the pressure we experience at sea level – but creatures that live and visit there have some very special features.
Inside a snailfish.
Newcastle University / Natural History Museum, London