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Ocean Portal by The Smithsonian Institution

Deep Sea

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IMAGE GALLERY Deep Ocean Diversity See some of the remarkable adaptations that deep-sea animals have evolved. Learn more about their habitat and how marine scientists research it in our Deep Ocean Exploration section.MORE GALLERIES


	ARTICLE MORE STORIES From Submarines to Robots: Exploring the Deep Ocean Filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer James Cameron on March 25, 2012, beca...
	BLOG POST MORE STORIES Summer in a Sub: DROP Down to Discovery You never know where following your passions can take you. I came to the Smithso...
	PHOTO MORE PHOTOS Millions of Brittlestars A huge colony of brittlestars (likely Ophiacantha rosea) covers the peak of a se...

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					Searching for Crustaceans in the Deep Sea May 16, 2013 - 9:04AMIn this video Smithsonian research zoologist Dr. Martha Nizinski takes viewers with her as she searches for crustaceans in the deep sea. She's particularly interested in finding squat lobsters, which despite their name, are...

Zombie Worms Eating Whale Bone

May 13, 2013 - 9:23AM

Zombie worms (Osedax roseus) eat away at the bones of a dead whale that has...

Scaly Dragonfish

May 8, 2013 - 9:26AM

The long barbel on the chin of this dragonfish (Stomias boa) has a glowing...

SPOTLIGHT


Marine Snow: A Staple of the Deep Snow on land can make some people grumpy, but the magical-looking flakes and a beautiful layer on the trees can turn even...

Deep-Sea Coral Habitat Jun 8 2011 - 4:42pm Rockfish, anemones, and other invertebrates inhabit this deep-sea coral reef in Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of California.	Coral Scientist J. Murray Roberts: Exploring the Blue Planet Jul 27 2011 - 9:54am Imagine you’re an alien seeing Planet Earth for the first time. What do you see from your spacecraft? A blue planet with over 70% of its surface covered by ocean. From space it’s obvious how important the ocean is to our planet. But we actually know very little about what lives at the bottom of the...
Blind Lobster Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am This new species of lobster is blind—an adaptation to deep-sea life—and has very bizarre claws, or chelipeds. It was discovered about 300 meters (984 feet) deep in the Phillipine Sea by a Census of Marine Life expedition. Not only was this a new species, but it was placed in an entirely new genus...	Sea Whip Coral Jun 7 2011 - 12:42pm The pink strands of this single deep-sea coral harbor a variety of marine life. Sea whips are gorgonian corals and have flexible skeletons. See more pictures of coral in our Deep-sea Corals article.
Whalefish Swimming in the Ocean Nov 8 2010 - 11:50am Marine biologists discover a whalefish -- an incredibly rare deep-sea fish -- swimming in the ocean in this video. Because it is so dark where they live, females have well-developed sensory pores, called the lateral line system, running up and down the sides of their bodies to sense vibrations in...	Bioluminescent Octopod Jun 4 2012 - 10:55am The yellow bioluminescent ring on this female octopus (Bolitaena pygmaea) may attract mates. Bioluminescence is an important adaptation that helps many deep sea animals survive in their dark world.
Studying Deep-Sea Corals Jun 9 2011 - 9:23am What happens to deep-sea coral samples after they are collected? In this image gallery, see some of the ways ocean scientists sort, measure, photograph, and study them. Learn more in the multimedia feature "Coral Gardens of the Deep Sea."	Solitary Deep-water Corals Oct 5 2012 - 3:42pm These corals from the Smithsonian collections are Stephanocyathus (A.) spiniger, a solitary, deep-water stony coral species. Around 74% of all deep-water corals are solitary, living as individual organisms instead of forming large colonies like most shallow-water corals. This one has six long...
A Striped Deep Sea Worm Apr 4 2013 - 12:38pm In Antarctica's Southern Ocean swims a beautiful polychaete (bristly worm) called Tomopteris carpenteri, which is adorned with alternating red and transparent bands. The largest species in its genus, it it found throughout the water column, including the deep sea, where this photo was taken by...	Millions of Brittlestars Jul 19 2012 - 9:14am A huge colony of brittlestars (likely Ophiacantha rosea) covers the peak of a seamount in the deep ocean. What’s the attraction? Food! Their arms reach out for tiny food particles carried by the swift Antarctic Circumpolar Current.
Human Occupied Vehicle (HOV) Alvin Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am The research submersible Alvin uses bright lights to illuminate the dark seafloor. Built in 1964, it has made more than 4,400 dives. It can carry two scientists and a pilot as deep as 4,500 meters (14,764 feet).	Jewel Squid Dec 12 2012 - 10:33am This beautiful jewel squid (Histioteuthis bonnellii) can be found swimming above the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, at depths of 500-2,000 meters (1,640-6,562 feet). The “jewels” covering the body are bioluminescent photophores. But these squids can't bargain for their lives with those jewels: they have been...
Amy Baco-Taylor, Deep-Sea Coral Scientist Jul 27 2011 - 10:44am Dr. Amy Baco-Taylor dives to deep-sea environments to study corals and the invertebrates that live in them.	Corals in the Juan de Fuca Canyon and the Davidson Seamount Jul 22 2011 - 11:13am Discover some amazing corals in this footage that shows and identifies a range of deep-sea coral species from the Juan de Fuca Canyon off the Olympic coast and the Davidson Seamount, an underwater volcano outside the boundary of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in the Pacific Ocean....
Zoanthids on Hydrothermal Vent Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am Flower-like zoanthids, relatives of coral, carpet a hydrothermal vent. This species of zoanthid is the first ever discovered at a hydrothermal vent. See more pictures of incredible deep sea diversity at our slideshow!	Bubblegum Coral Jun 7 2011 - 12:32pm This bubblegum coral (Paragorgia arborea) has a fanlike shape. It is growing 1,310 m (4,298 ft) deep on the Davidson Seamount southwest of Monterey, California. Learn more about deep-sea corals in the multimedia feature "Coral Gardens of the Deep Sea."