How a Rich Variety of Sea Life Is Able to Exist So Close to the Ocean Floor

In the TED-Ed lesson “The otherworldly creatures in the ocean’s deepest depths” educator and biologist Lidia Lins Pereira explains through clever animation by Viviane Leezer, how a vast variety of sea life is able to exist so far below the water’s surface and so near the ocean floor.

About 60 percent of the ocean is a cold, dark region that spans down to 11,000 meters. This zone is known as the deep ocean, and though it seems like an inhospitable and remote corner of the planet, it is actually one of the greatest habitats on Earth.

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.