Published on Thursday, April 13, 2017
The Okeanos Explorer Gives a Glimpse of the ‘Wonders of the Deep’
[AMAZING]
This video gives viewers a closer look of the marine creatures found in the deep seas of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. They feature sea cucumbers, a feathery-looking soft coral, a dumbo octopus and a deep water siphonophore. Siphonophores are one of the most unique deep sea marine creatures because they are made out of colonies of smaller organisms that each have a specialized job (such as swimming or reproducing). These colonies form themselves into bioluminescent tubes that are capable of growing up to 140 feet long.
To film and research these deep sea wonders, scientists climbed aboard the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) research vessel, the Okeanos Explorer. Their most recent voyage was to the southwestern part of Hawaii to collect data and videos within the 370,000 square miles of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. They used the Deep Discoverer, a remotely controlled diving vehicle, to film depths up to 20,000 feet in the deep ocean. The scientists working within the monument are trying to establish baselines to monitor the effects of ocean acidification and climate change in the area.
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