TED Response: David Gallo on life in the deep oceans

           In this video, David Gallo discusses deep sea creatures and their fascinating traits. While humans, having conquered the highest peaks on Earth, are actively uncovering extra-terrestrial secrets, the ocean still remains as a huge enigma; we know the principles of galaxies and stellar systems yet have provincial knowledge when it comes to the depths of our own planet. Until a few decades ago, lack of sophisticated technology had rendered scientists’ efforts to uncover the sea’s secrets had been futile, but recent scientific innovations now allow them to slowly discover the obscure regions of the voluminous ocean and their inhabitants.

           The ocean’s esoteric creatures and their patterns of existence are truly amazing. Living in the deep sea with massive amounts of water pressure suppressing them, these animals, including octopi, tube worms, fish, crabs, and shrimp, coexist in cryptic ways. Rather than being a fish-eat-fish anarchy, the creatures live in relative harmony with each other around volcanic vents, despite the fact that these “chimneys” spew virulent gases into the ocean. As there is absolutely no sunlight and scanty resources in this environment, the heat from the Earth’s center is pivotal to these animals; it is the only source of energy for these prodigious animals. Simple organisms such as static bacteria are also crucial, as they are the base life forms that sustain the other creatures. Judging by the fact that the bacteria found in these areas are the simplest on Earth, scientists believe that the undersea creatures have been leading this inveterate, uniform pattern of life for much longer than any other life forms; they may even be the evolutionary predecessors of land animals.

           These furtive animals still remain mainly as a mystery to mankind. Their remote location and fragility make research quite tenacious. Yet, scientists, even today, are working the best they can to continue discovering the secrets of the sea, and we can expect new wonders in the future.