Creatures of The Abyss Gianna Oms-Rosell P.1

Human exploration has revealed more detail about the surface of Mars than the deep sea. 79% of the Earth’s biosphere consists of waters with depths greater than 1,000 m. Advances in deep sea submersibles and image capturing have made it possible to explore this area of the ocean which was once largely unexplored.

Benthic Zone Oceanic benthic zones are the bottom sediments and other surfaces of a body of water such as an ocean or a lake. They can be split up into different zones: the intertidal, the subtidal, the bathyal, the abyssal, and the hadal. Each benthic surface has very different life forms and characteristics: Most of the deep sea floor consists of mud due to pelagic organisms sinking to the bottom of the sea floor after dying. Benthic areas too steep for sediment to stick to are rocky, found in mid-ocean ridges, continental slopes, seamounts and rocky banks. Some benthic formations are produced by unique chemical reactions (eg. hydrothermal vents).

Deep Sea The deep sea begins about 656 feet below the ocean’s surface, a depth that sunlight cannot reach. Photosynthesis is not possible in this part of the ocean, so many organisms found in the deep sea feed on detritus Detritus: the decaying remains of microbes, algae, plants, and animals from the ocean’s upper zone. Lack of sunlight, freezing waters, and extremely high water pressure make for a very harsh environment. However, organisms in this abyssal zone have evolved over centuries to be able to withstand this harsh environment. Some of these adaptations include….

Abyssal Animal Adaptations Bioluminescence: a chemical reaction in a microbe or animal that creates light without heat. This unique adaptation can also aid organisms in finding a mate in the ocean’s dark, vast depths. Anglerfish Bomber Worm Lantern Fish

Abyssal Animal Adaptations In order to be able to consume detritus in large amounts many deep sea creatures have evolved large mouths, huge hinged jaws and large expandable stomachs to engulf and process large quantities of food. They have also evolved large fang-like teeth to ensure that any prey captured have little chance of escaping, and bioluminescence can also attract prey.

Other Adaptations Deep sea creatures have many other adaptations that are largely understood by scientists. Some of these include: Gigantism: tendency for certain deep sea animals to become gigantic in size. This may be a result of the longevity of deep sea creatures. (giant squid, colossal squid, king of herrings oarfish). Long lives: Many deep sea creatures, despite size, have been found to live for decades and on occasion, centuries. They grow to maturity and reproduce very slowly. (rattails, grenadier, orange roughy). Odd reproductive patterns: Unique light patterns may aid in finding a mate as it can be very difficult to find one in the deep sea’s dark depths. An example of this is the anglerfish who use light patterns to find mates. However, male anglerfish are tiny in comparison to the female, and attach themselves to the female’s body using their long hooked teeth to merge his blood vessels with hers, receiving nutrients from her and in exchange she has a reliable sperm source for life.

Other Adaptations The orange roughy can live for up to 149 years. The angler fish’s strange reproductive patterns help it survive. The giant grenadier can grow up to 2.1 meters in length.

Other Abyssal Animals The dumbo octopus can be found at depths ranging from 1,000 to 6,000 feet. “Big red” is a species of jellyfish so unique, scientists created a new subspecies for it. It uses its strong tentacles to catch prey and can grow up to three feet long. The saucer jelly is a deep sea jellyfish The threadfin snailfish lives 6,000 ft beneath the surface of the ocean and has large sensory pores around its mouth.

Current Event A team of scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) spotted the newly discovered hydromedusa jellyfish during an expedition to Mariana’s Trench in the Pacific. The research team made many observations leading them to believe that this new jelly is related to the Crossota genus, which are known to spend the majority of their lives gliding through the water. This new discovery helps support the idea that ocean exploration is important because there are still organisms that we have yet to discover. http://www.techtimes.com/articles/155571/20160503/discovery-of-new-jellyfish- species-in-mariana-trench-proves-there-is-much-to-know-about-the-world-s- oceans.htm

Deep Sea Video http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/news/marine-census-narrate-vin

Bibliography Deep Sea Biology by Paul Yancey, phD http://people.whitman.edu/~yancey/deepsea.html Deep Sea Adaptations by Beth O’Donnell http://www.academia.edu/9779177/Deep_Sea_Adaptations Monterey Bay Research Aquarium