Secrets of the deep ocean
Parts of the ocean floor are being explored for the first time. Scientists are using technology to map the damage caused by humanity-and reveal clues about how the ocean can be better protected. Film supported by @blancpain
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Deep beneath the ocean’s surface lie vast areas of seabed that have never before been explored by humankind. Now state-of-the-art technology is giving these scientists an unprecedented opportunity to conduct research that is vital to protecting the ocean. And to uncovering the true nature of damage being done to it.
This is the RV Investigator. The ship used by the Australian government and marine scientists to research the deep ocean.
Off the coast of Tasmania a team of scientists is on a remarkable mission to investigate marine life thousands of metres below the surface. To do this they are using advanced cameras attached to a submersible platform. The system is carefully dropped 1,000 metres down below the surface. It’s Karl’s job to make sure he stops the platform just two metres before it reaches the seabed.
Then the challenging task begins - navigating the craggy and uneven terrain of seamounts. Though found throughout the ocean,
from the poles to the equator, over 99% of them are unexplored. Scientists have discovered that seamounts support astonishingly diverse and unique ecosystems and provide food and spawning grounds to a wide variety of fish and sea mammals.
Today the team is surveying an area of the ocean floor that has never been explored before. In these dark depths over 1,000 metres below the surface the team is astonished to discover thriving coral communities. But the team is also visiting parts of the seabed that have experienced human contact before. To survey areas that have been damaged by bottom trawling. This method of fishing provides the biggest annual catch globally but uses vast nets that can literally scrape marine life off the ocean floor. Damage to seamounts here was first logged by scientists in the 1990s. But a marine protected area now keeps many of them safe from the nets.
The first signs are encouraging. Marine life is returning, anemones are beginning to grow back on the damaged areas. But it’s what the team can’t see that’s more worrying. There is little evidence that damaged coral itself the heartbeat of ecosystems down here
is reforming.
The data gathered here will form part of a growing body of evidence helping scientists evaluate whether damaged areas
will ever properly recover. The results from this trip are vital for the ocean’s would-be protectors as part of the wider battle to preserve marine habitats across the ocean floor. And make the case for more controlled and sustainable fishing.
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Пікірлер: 44
Question: If you suddenly shine a light on an organism that has never seen light, would you injure it somehow?
In case y'all were pausing and unpausing like me to read that guys shirt on 0:20, I did it for you: "There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who can extrapolate from incomplete data." You're welcome. Have a nice day.
We need to ban deep sea fishing globally.
@KG-ek6qs
4 жыл бұрын
tell that to Japan
Deep sea is very interesting🙏💪
@jaque3901
4 жыл бұрын
yup
Gorgeous pictures with informative and much-needed reporting - thanks Economist!
Great videos by economist. I love reading and watching the economist. Best journalist they have.
@MrReerka
5 жыл бұрын
VirtueOfTheLessBrilliant lol
@vlado2701
5 жыл бұрын
You are right dear Murtaza ! I agree ! Thank You for Your golden words !
Brilliantly ! No more , no less ! Unique , rare and very interesting information ! The Economist is great , real and famous Channel ! Three in One ! Great attracts me ... Delightful film and decent job ! I appreciate it ! With The Economist I feel happier than ever !
At 1:23 mins in read the guys tshirt... GOLD
All for this but I have a question, open to anyone that knows. Can we plant coral like any other 'crop'? I see letting nature go its own course here but can we help it go faster? Can we grow corals and drop them (using scientific vessels like this) to seed the ocean bed like we would a field on land? More specifically, could I have a coral farm in a tank that I could donate once mature instead of raising sea monkeys because they move about?
@theuniversedoesntcare
5 жыл бұрын
One guy in Florida managed it, I heard.
@alexx.476
5 жыл бұрын
@@theuniversedoesntcare Some scientists are training staghorn coral to be more bleach-resistant
@mattiasbollen1409
5 жыл бұрын
Coral is already being fractioned. This means that coral is grown in tanks and then dispersed along the ocean bed in small piece, so it grows and spreads very fast. Problem with this deep sea coral is that it seems rather fragile and i dont know if you would be able to farm these in shallow tanks because they are deep sea species. Besides, as they are fragile they might also not survive the journey to deep down because as you can see remotely controlling anything down there is pretty difficult. This said, i think it would be awesome if we could do it because we are really destroying our planet :(
@suewoon4770
5 жыл бұрын
@@theuniversedoesntcare bigthink.com/surprising-science/fast-growing-coral-discovery-could-revitalize-oceans
Impressive!!!
Knowlegable video
Corals are the forest of the ocean
Nice T Shirt
Like that guy's shirt
Nature will recover despite our destruction of it through the usage of fossil fuels to overfishing. Whether or not we will be along for the ride is a different story. Preserving the environment is not just altruism. It is in our self interest to do so.
Can bottom trawling be stopped?? Can't we look for other ways of fishing?? :/
maybe some prehistoric species that are assumed to be extinct would be still alive, who knows?
Good Discovery but it is still limited6 and Little, There is More than meets the Eye.
Is there the same problem in Europe 's sea ?
How can these animals handle the immense pressure?
@russellflores7229
5 жыл бұрын
King-sama they're made for it
Annnnd enough of this kind of fishing on MASS.. Time to hold China and others to account....
#
Uhm, "make the case for sustainable fishing"? Are this the 1990ies? Just stop eating fish.
don't kid yourself they are looking for resources
@ethancrowe280
5 жыл бұрын
They're scientists trying to find a further explanation of damages to the environment and explore sea mounds. Why would they look for resources here? It would be unprofitable to mine in the ocean anyway.
@Starfishtroopers
5 жыл бұрын
@@ethancrowe280 Google Deep Sea Mining.
@ethancrowe280
5 жыл бұрын
@@Starfishtroopers I'm aware of deep sea mining. These are scientists. Not miners.
@ethancrowe280
5 жыл бұрын
@Bart1991 how about instead of calling my point 'dumb', actually argue as to why I'm wrong.