Name: Life in the deep oceans
Uploaded: 2008-09-11T01:00:00Z
Duration: 13 min 6 s
Description: With vibrant video clips captured by submarines, David Gallo takes us to some of Earth's darkest, most violent, toxic and beautiful habitats, the valleys and volcanic ridges of the oceans' depths, where life is bizarre, resilient and shockingly abundant.

With vibrant video clips captured by submarines, David Gallo takes us to some of Earth's darkest, most violent, toxic and beautiful habitats, the valleys and volcanic ridges of the oceans' depths, where life is bizarre, resilient and shockingly abundant.

Life in the deep oceans

The vast, largely unexplored depths of the ocean hide the planet's most dramatic landscapes and complex life forms. Towering volcanic ridges span 40,000 miles underwater, where creatures thrive on chemical energy instead of sunlight. At hydrothermal vents, bacteria and bizarre animals create ecosystems richer than rainforests, surviving extreme temperatures and pressures that would crush surface life. These discoveries reveal that Earth's rhythms, cycles, and resilience are more profound and dynamic than most imagine.