The Quiet Ocean

The Quiet Ocean

Far beneath the surface of the sea lies a world that few people ever see. Sunlight fades within a few hundred metres, and below that the water is dark and cold all year round. Yet this deep ocean is far from empty. Fish, squid and countless tiny animals live there, many of them producing their own light to find food or attract a mate.

Pressure and cold

Animals in the deep must survive enormous pressure. At four thousand metres, the weight of the water above is about four hundred times the pressure at the surface. Their bodies contain special molecules that keep proteins working under such conditions, an adaptation scientists are still trying to understand.