Over the course of history, humans have explored islands, jungles, mountains, and the poles. We have surveyed almost every corner of the surface, but a great challenge remains: the deep sea. At 10,900 meters, the Challenger Deep is the deepest point on Earth, and manned trips to that place can be counted on the fingers of both hands. What can those adventurers find as they descend? This new video from Kurzgesagt will help you find out.
In 2012, we talked about James Cameron's descent to the Challenger Deep. Not a few believe that the director and producer went to look for inspiration for the development of Avatar 2, but we must not forget that Cameron already made a science fiction film about the depths, appropriately called The Abyss. Reaching the Challenger Deep is a titanic challenge. With 110 megapascals of pressure, there is no doubt that it wants us dead. So... great! Why don't we travel there anyway?
The Ocean's Surprising Biomass
A particularly surprising fact about the ocean as a whole is that it harbors less than 2 percent of the Earth's biomass, and within that small percentage, 90 percent lives in the first 200 meters of depth. Despite these limitations, so to speak, we can still learn many things about the ocean. In the first meters of depth we still have photosynthesis: phytoplankton gets its energy from the Sun, plankton eats phytoplankton, and larger species eat plankton.
Sunlight diminishes with every meter gained in depth, and pressure increases to lethal levels. The deepest human dive reached 332 meters, which is equivalent to having 200 cars on top (and we still have to cover 97 percent of the journey to reach the abyss). This region is used by many life forms as a resting zone, escaping from their predators to get closer to the surface at night in search of food.
https://old.neoteo.com/el-tesoro-de-von-toll-la-sopa-enterrada-que-sobrevivio-al-artico/Bioluminescence and the Deep
At 600 meters deep, 90 percent of the species living there have some form of bioluminescence. This serves as camouflage, to find mates, confuse predators, or hunt. We also find teamwork, with entire colonies of siphonophores that create light to attract and capture food. However, most species depend on marine snow, particles of organic matter that fall from the surface.
At 1,000 meters deep, the scarcity of food demands advanced energy saving. Predators developed large mouths and long or hook-shaped teeth to prevent their prey from escaping. Further down, the few creatures that live there prioritize flotation (or very slow swimming) and passive food consumption, speeding up only when in danger. The abyssal plains are covered in marine snow, exploited by holothurians (sea cucumbers), shrimp, sea urchins, and sea worms.
https://old.neoteo.com/el-pez-mas-estrepitoso-despegue-de-un-avion/Extremophiles and the Challenger Deep
Corals and sponges use small manganese deposits as anchors. The separation of tectonic plates exposes magma, which heats water to over 400 degrees Celsius, creating chimneys surrounded by special ecosystems. Beyond 6,000 meters deep, we enter the realm of extremophiles. The so-called Mariana snailfish or Pseudoliparis swirei is one of them, living at 8,000 meters deep.
Finally, we reach the Challenger Deep. Almost 11,000 meters deep, and about 1,800 elephants balancing on our backs. The conditions are adverse in every way, but life managed to find a place there, based on sea cucumbers and amphipods that can measure up to 30 centimeters. The problem is... there is something else there: our trash. In May, Victor Vescovo aboard the DSV Limiting Factor found plastic bags and candy wrappers.
