4 SCIENCE IN THE DEEP The oceans cover nearly three-quarters of Earth’s surface and in places they are deeper than the highest mountains Below the surface of the sea is an amazing underwater world inhabited by fish and other sea creatures Farther from shore the sea bed drops away to the deep ocean Here mountains and volcanoes rise from the ocean floor and canyons form deep trenches In some places hot water gushes from cracks called hydrothermal vents Ocean Lessons Studying the oceans provides vital information about our planet from the destructive effects of global warming to the prediction of undersea earthquakes that can cause tsunamis see page 22 The discovery of new species can lead to the development of better medicines and increases our understanding of evolution and adaptation There is still much to find out scientists at the US government agency NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimate that 95 percent of the world’s oceans remain unexplored Divers use equipment such as scuba tanks to examine sea life on the sea bed A hydrothermal vent is a crack in the ocean floor where hot water escapes from deep inside Earth
5 Dangerous Work Aquanauts work on the edge facing hazards and challenges as they research sea life and explore the ocean floor Some dive down to the sea bed to gather material Others spend months at sea Marine scientists rely on a wide range of specialized equipment including scuba tanks and undersea cameras The latest technology includes robots and remotely controlled vehicles such as ISIS This book looks at how marine scientists carry out their work who funds this research and some of the results This scientist is so deep below the ocean’s surface that he is using a submersible with lights to study the sea floor CUTTING EDGE ISIS is a state-of-the-art submersible that works in deep water and treacherous conditions A submersible is a small underwater vehicle that is supported by a shore team a larger submarine or in the case of ISIS by a ship on the surface ISIS has been in action at undersea volcanoes in the Caribbean and at the bottom of a 3-mile 5-km deep canyon off the coast of Portugal It is equipped with high-definition video cameras chemical sensors and manipulator arms for collecting samples
6 Researching the oceans has never been more important because they are under threat as never before Pollution poisons the water and huge fishing boats rake vast areas of sea bed The boats destroy sea bed environments and leave once-thriving fishing grounds barren Overfishing when more fish are taken from the sea than can be replaced by the remaining fish is a constant problem Coral reefs are rich in fishes and all types of marine life but warming seas and overfishing are damaging them Working Against Time Scientists need to work fast to study and record all the different ocean habitats and millions of species before many are lost for ever Scientists also monitor and measure what is happening to the oceans and their wildlife They then publish this research to raise awareness of the plight of the oceans SAVING THE OCEANS This giant mechanical claw carefully lifts a sample of rock from the sea floor Scientists are interested in deep-sea coral and the fishes that live around them
7 Working Carefully Scientists know that what happens in one place or to one species can affect other habitats and other species As they carry out their research they try to disturb the habitat as little as possible and to do no harm For example they may have to collect samples from the sea bed Instead of using a rake they use a suction tube which gently sucks up specific samples The device is operated remotely and has a small video camera to show the scientist what is happening CUTTING EDGE Creatures that live at the bottom of the oceans live in total darkness so scientists have to photograph and film them without using bright lights To do this they use LED lights and cameras that operate in low light LED lamps give a red light which does not disturb deep-sea fishes but is picked up by the cameras A suction tube collects a sample without disturbing anything around it
