Source: The Conversation
Author: Lucy Woodall
Oceans cover over 70% of our “blue” planet and are vital to its health. For instance carbon moves in and out of the ocean and can be stored there for thousands of years. Oceans are also a source of food and livelihood to millions of people, and to the economies of coastal countries. They are also the largest habitable space on the planet and house many different organisms.
But there’s a great deal that scientists still don’t know about the world’s oceans.
The “deep sea” is traditionally defined as below 200m. Usually light from the sun can’t reach these depths and they are home to organisms that have special adaptations to live here. These waters are often in remote areas, and are beyond the reach of all but specialist technologies, therefore much of the deep sea remains under-explored.
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