The Netflix documentary series, The Blue Planet: A Natural History of the Ocean, asserts the vastness and immensity of the oceans that take up over two-thirds of the surface of the planet we reside. In the episode, The Deep, the documentary explores the twilight zone and dark zone, a region that continues to be vastly unknown. In this, the narrator discusses the harsh conditions- in regards to darkness, coldness, and high pressure- and the few organisms that reside in the darkness. Over 60% of the ocean is covered by waters that are over a mile deep. This region of the ocean is largely unknown- more people have traveled into space than have ventured into the deep sea. Although largely unknown, the deep sea is by far the largest habitat …show more content…
In this region, animals need to be able to see while avoiding from being seen. As a result, organisms, such as the Giant amphipod- which are almost completely transparent, living in the twilight zone develop eyes that allow them to hunt. The Phronima, which is often the organism accredited for the inspiration for alien movies, also contains a cutlery set and huge eyes, thus making it a powerful predator in the twilight zone. The deep sea contains numerous peculiar animals including a rich variety of jellies, cilia, and comb jellies. Comb jellies, in particular, hunt their prey by letting our their long, sticky necks to capture …show more content…
In addition, temperatures are below 40 degrees Celsius and pressure is more than 100 times that of the surface. This region of the ocean can be described as dark and dangerous. Many animals in this region are also dark red. Because no red light penetrates to these depths, animals with red features appear as completely black. As a result, predators in this region don’t rely on vision but have thin rod-like bodies aligned with organs sensitive to movements in the water. Some examples of these predators are the hairy angler, whose body is covered with hundreds of sensitive antennae, and the gulper eel, whose mouth is large enough to engulf prey almost as large as themselves. Organisms that reside in these depths also benefit from bioluminescence- light that is generated by bacteria that lives permanently in the lure and attracts prey. For example, angulers have a giant, flashing light used to lure prey. In the dark zone, it is even more difficult for organisms to attract a mate than it is to find food. As a result, male angulers, which are a tenth of the size of the females, respond to chemicals of female angulers, bite into her belly, and permanently fuse to her. By doing so, male angulers receive sustenance from the females’ blood while symbiotically providing her with a continuous supply of sperm.
T. californicus is found from Alaska to Baja in small, shallow tidepools and tidal flats in the upper spray zone where they cannot avoid the full effect of visible and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Individuals assemble in areas of lower radiation at midday, yet have no preference to the intensity of light at dawn and dusk (Hartline and Macmillan 1995). These tiny arthropods inhabit all types of marine sediments from sand to fine mud and ooze. Along with plankton, T. californicus eats microscopic algae, protists, bacteria, diatoms, algae and microbes (McGroarty 1958). When the concentrations of the species in their habitats are high, T. californicus will turn to cannibalism for a food source. The nautilus eye present in the species is rich with fatty acids and provides a good food source for the animal.
In “Chapter 6 – The Sea Around Us” of Elizabeth Kolbert’s The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History, the author reveals the fact that the ocean is acidifying due to human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation. In this chapter, Kolbert notes that there was a lack of biodiversity near the vents at Castello Aragonese in order to present the oceans’ future possibility. One of the types of sea creatures that ocean acidification would devastate are the calcifiers, which are organisms that create shells or skeletons made of calcium carbonate (Kolbert 117-122). Credible sources of information, such as the EPA and the Smithsonian Institution, agree that ocean acidification poses a serious threat to marine calcifiers,
The outer tentacles probe for a potential meal, then the inner sensors decide if the prey is edible. They are covered in thick, blackish-brown, water-repellent fur, and have large scaled feet and a long, thick tail. This animal is by far one of the most interesting animals in the world, despite looking like a cross between a rat and an octopus. The way it behaves and utilizes its star nose is fascinating and makes it very unique when compared to other animals.
These animals can’t function in the shallows of the ocean, so they retreat to the depths. The twilight zone is 660 to 3030 feet deep which means, “The only light that reaches where these fish are is a blue greenish color which gets absorbed by plant, so most of the light they give off is red” (Haddock). This scientist is describing the world of color or lack of that these special creatures face. The light in this zone is usually red due to the fact that there is not a lot of light the plants absorb the blue and green and animal life then give off a red light. These creatures use thi...
Though food is everlasting in both the coral reef and deep sea, space is very limited. Organisms in both habitats have to compete for space and survival, having defense mechanisms to keep other species from killing out their kind. Some fishes in the coral reef hide in cracks and crevices along the rocks and corals to hide from their predators. Other fishes camouflage within the brightly colored corals to hide from predators, or even humans looking into their tank. The deep sea holds many small fish, but with large mouths. The large mouths and pointy teeth help the miniscule fish eat their prey, whi...
The crew threw harpoons at the creature, but those would not stay in the flesh for long. When the crew got close enough to put a noose around the creature, the rope tightened and cut through the animal, causing most of it to sink to the bottom of the sea. The crew, however, managed to pull the tail of the creature on board, and bring it back to the French Consul. From there, the tail and a report about the creature made its way to the French Academy of Sciences. Giant squid, of which there are many different species, have been spotted less than fifty times in the last century, but none have been seen in their natural habitat, the depths of the sea, or caught on tape.
Oceans are such so vast that people underestimate the impact their actions —seeming so insignificant— have on them. Humans have by and large taken the oceans for granted; not considering how important a healthy ocean is to our survival. A popular mind-set is that the oceans are a bottomless supply of fish, natural resources, and an infinite waste dump. There are myriad reasons why the oceans should be saved and the most obvious one is marine life. With 71% of the Earth being covered by water, it is obvious that sea creatures are predominant form of life, making up 80% of the species of life on Earth. However, as important as marine life is, that is not the only reason why saving the oceans is crucial. The ocean floor provides natural resources such as, oil, natural gas, petroleum, minerals, medications, and ingredients for foods and products. The economic benefits of the oceans are huge and significant, as well. Fishing and fish products have provided employment to 38 million people and have generated about $124 billion in economic benefits. However, oceans are on the verge of crisis, marine life, natural resources, transportation, the economy, and important ingredients are at risk due to overfishing, pollution, and acidification. Thus, in this essay I will argue that, oceans are not impervious to human activity and threatening the health of the ocean threatens the health of humanity, since oceans key to our survival.
Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and make the Competition Irrelevant" by Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne was released in 2005 and became an international bestseller. It takes into account a study of 150 strategic moves that span over 100 years and through thirty industries, and argues why tomorrow's leading companies will find their success comes from not battling direct competitors, but instead by creating uncontested market space known as "blue oceans. " The book starts with a wonderful example of "blue ocean", Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil was formed in 1984 by a group of street performers, and has since become one of Canada's largest cultural exports. It has had dozens of productions that have been seen by
Derek Walcott, acclaimed Caribbean author, writes to make sense of the legacy of deep colonial damage. Born in 1930 in the island of St. Lucia, Walcott has a melancholic relationship with Caribbean history which shapes the way he carefully composes within “The Sea is History.” Walcott’s application of Biblical allusions seeks to revise and restore Caribbean identity.
Earth has been called the blue planet and not without reason. The ocean covers about three quarters of the earth’s surface and plays a vital role in our survival. It bounty feeds millions of people daily. Its surface absorbs more than ninety five percent of the solar radiation that reaches our planet. It is integral to the water cycle and it regulates our planets climate. But none of these roles would be fulfilled without the movement of the ocean. The currents, ribbons of movement within the greater body of water, provide the means with which our ocean distributes the nutrients and energy necessary for continued life upon earth. What are these currents and why are they so essential to our survival?
They rest during the daylight in crevices in the corals and from their position they suddenly leap at their un-suspecting prey which could be small fish and crustaceans. The species may also create suction by rapidly opening the mouth to draw the prey in. Scorpion fish are able to stun their prey using their venom. The opportunistic hunting performed by scorpionfish is supported by their camouflage to get close to prey unnoticed before striking rapidly. Also, the big mouth of the species allows –when wide open- to engulf its meal in a big gulp.
The Green Glass Sea, a book written by Ellen Klages, is a great historical fiction novel that I read for my reading Book Talk.
Have you ever visited a place so beautiful and serene that you couldn’t imagine a more stunning place? For me, it is the shimmering and flowing waters of the ocean. The way that the deep blue waters meet the gritty beige sand leaves me in such awe. The water is like a soft blanket, comforting and inviting. The unique wildlife and vegetation that exists on the beach is something I’ve never seen anywhere else. There is no place more beautiful and thrilling than the beach.
The oceans need to be protected because it is where life began and if not taken care of, life as we know it will end. When dangerous substances go into the ocean, ecosystems are suffer and become endangered along with lives of people and of marine life. Surfrider Foundation recognizes the importance of protecting and preserving the quality and biodiversity of the world's coasts because they are truly irreplaceable. There is also historical evidence of ocean pollution being present in the past, but the problem still lingers today. Heal the Bay discovered that,“Did you know there is a DDT and PCB hot spot off the coast of Palos Verdes? This superfund site (which indicates it's one of the most polluted places in the United States), is left over from a 1930's era chemical plant. Because DDT takes so long to break down in the marine environment, it persists to this day, contaminating certain species of fish. There are also highly polluted sediments in the Long Beach area, a sign of the heavy shipping in the port. Heal the Bay works on developing effective capping and removal plans to keep those toxins from spreading” (Heal the Bay). DDT is still highly concentrated in the South Bay area and still contaminating different species of fish. Even after more than 80 years DDT, a toxic insecticide, is still very concentrated and during upwellings, DDT particles come back up and continue to harm marine life. If humans are careless about what is thrown on the floor or sprayed on lawns, it can lead to disastrous affects when it comes to the condition of the ocean's ecosystems, and can endanger life itself leading to a problem that only we can mend.
Introduction One particularly interesting sea creature is the whale shark, formally known as Rhincondon typus; it was first discovered in 1828 by Andrew Smith (Rowat 2012). This large fish is found globally in warm tropical oceans and prefers to stay within 200 meters of the ocean’s surface in waters ranging from 4.2 to 28.7 degrees Celsius (Stevens 2006). This creature can be found all across the globe in warm tropical seas. Aggregations of whale sharks have been seen off the coast of Australia at times, although it is primarily a creature of solitude. Whale sharks are filter feeders that consume plankton as well as small fish and are harmless to humans.