Find Scarlet’s Adventure Episode 8: Crabulous Creatures. Expand learning on deep sea creatures with the resources below.
Eyes on Science
Fin-tastic Activities
Discover the Deep Sea
Life in the deep ocean is challenging. There is little food, little light, and lots of water; so much water that many animals would get crushed by the pressure. Despite these challenges, many animals are able to survive in the darkest depths thanks to amazing adaptations. Some animals, like sea jellies, are able to deal with the crushing pressure by having a high water content in their body or by having a hard shell, like spider crabs. Many deep-sea animals can go days, weeks, or even months without eating, like the Giant isopod and the Pacific hagfish. Some also produce their own light to attract prey, attract mates, or evade predators. There are also a few animals, like Sperm Whales, that only visit the deep sea to feed, but then return to the surface. There is still a lot to learn about deep-sea life as it is difficult for scientists to explore the ocean depths. We know more about the surface of Mars than we do our own deep oceans!
More Ways to Explore
Learn more about the amazing and strange creatures of the deep sea by checking out the Smithsonian Ocean Find Your Blue webpage all about the deep sea ecosystems.
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