Introducing...Oceans: Life Under Water

Summary

Podcast Summary: Tortoise Investigates – "Introducing...Oceans: Life Under Water"

Overview

In the episode titled "Introducing...Oceans: Life Under Water," Tortoise Media delves into the mysterious and largely unexplored depths of the ocean. Hosted by wildlife filmmaker and zoologist Hannah Stittfall, the episode presents a captivating narrative about an unprecedented deep-sea experiment involving a dead alligator and a state-of-the-art deep-sea robot. Produced in collaboration with Greenpeace and Crowd Network, this episode is the inaugural installment of the series "Life Underwater," which seeks to uncover the hidden wonders and survival strategies of marine life thriving in the planet's most challenging environments.

Experiment Setup and Execution

The episode begins with an intriguing premise: scientists embarking on an ambitious mission to study deep-sea life by introducing a decomposing alligator into the abyssal plains, located 2,000 meters below the ocean surface.

Scientist [01:05]:

"We put our robot in the ocean, this massive car-sized machine that's going to be our eyes and ears and hands in the deep. But we've also clasped in its hand a dead alligator, which had never been done before."

The team initiates the experiment from a research vessel stationed thousands of meters offshore. The deep-sea robot, equipped with cameras and sensors, descends alongside the alligator, capturing real-time footage as it plunges into the diminishing light and increasing pressure of the deep ocean.

Scientist [01:35]:

"We can see that the water at first is green and there's light, but quite quickly it's getting darker. It took an hour for it to reach our destination, which was a 2000 meters down on the seabed."

Discoveries on the Abyssal Plain

Upon reaching the seabed, the robot carefully places the alligator amidst the undulating, muddy terrain of the abyssal plain. The team anticipates various outcomes, from the alligator remaining untouched to being a subject of interest for deep-sea scavengers.

Scientist [03:20]:

"We finally saw the robot landing down on the seabed. And then we lay the alligator down on the seabed and we left it there and we came back a day later, went back down and we didn't know what we were going to see."

When the team retrieves the robot after 24 hours, they are met with an unexpected sight: the alligator is predominantly consumed by giant isopods, colossal crustaceans resembling oversized woodlice.

Scientist [04:10]:

"It was covered in these giant scavenging Crustaceans called isopods. Giant isopods. Imagine an animal the size and almost the shape of a rugby ball. Pale pink in color."

These isopods thrive in the nutrient-scarce environment of the deep sea by accumulating large energy reserves, allowing them to survive extended periods without food. Their voracious appetite for the soft tissues of the alligator highlights the relentless nature of deep-sea scavengers.

Scientist [04:45]:

"The big thing about their big bodies is that that gives them huge stores of energy. They're basically fat and they're filling up those energy supplies so that they don't have to feed again for months."

Further Observations and Speculations

The experiment didn't stop at a single alligator. Another specimen was left on the seabed for an extended period, only to be entirely consumed after a few weeks. The team speculates that a giant squid might have been responsible for this disappearance, potentially attracted by the rich source of nutrients.

Scientist [05:50]:

"I think it was a giant squid and it could have been biting through that rope, deciding that this was really the jackpot food that they'd found in this bit."

Insights and Conclusions

This episode sheds light on the adaptability and resilience of deep-sea organisms. Despite the harsh conditions—extreme pressure, perpetual darkness, and limited food sources—life not only persists but thrives through remarkable survival strategies. The rapid consumption of the alligator by giant isopods and possibly giant squids underscores the dynamic and interdependent nature of deep-sea ecosystems.

Scientist [05:30]:

"The deep sea is all about surviving in conditions that are super challenging. And if it means scavenging on an alligator that some scientists have left for you, then, you know, that's great."

Closing Remarks

Hannah Stittfall wraps up the episode by inviting listeners to join the ongoing exploration of the ocean's enigmatic depths in the new series "Life Underwater." She emphasizes the importance of understanding and protecting these fragile ecosystems through organizations like Greenpeace.

Hannah Stittfall [05:04]:

"Welcome to a brand new series of Oceans Life Underwater, a series about our watery world and some fascinating species that live below the waves."

Conclusion

"Introducing...Oceans: Life Under Water" offers a gripping glimpse into the unseen world beneath the waves, highlighting both the wonders and challenges of deep-sea life. Through innovative experiments and vivid storytelling, Tortoise Media and its collaborators invite listeners to appreciate the complexities of marine ecosystems and the relentless drive for survival that defines life in the deep ocean.

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Notable Quotes

• Scientist [01:05]: "We've clasped in its hand a dead alligator, which had never been done before."
• Scientist [04:10]: "Imagine an animal the size and almost the shape of a rugby ball. Pale pink in color."
• Scientist [05:30]: "The deep sea is all about surviving in conditions that are super challenging."
• Hannah Stittfall [05:04]: "Welcome to a brand new series of Oceans Life Underwater."

Transcript

[Narrator]

Hey, listeners, Today we're sharing something a little different. A story that starts with an alligator, a deep sea robot, and a mystery at the bottom of the ocean. It's from the podcast Life Underwater, hosted by wildlife filmmaker Hannah Stittfall and made by Greenpeace and Crowd Network. The series explores the hidden wonders of our oceans, but also the creatures questions and survival strategies that exist far beneath the surface in the parts of our world we rarely see. In this episode, scientists drop an alligator 2000 meters into the deep. What do they find when they return? That's where things get strange. This is the deep ocean like you've never heard it before. Eerie, otherworldly and full of surprises. Here comes the episode you can listen to more of Ocean's Life Underwater Season 2 on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Scientist]

So we started on the, the research ship. We're way offshore, the ocean is thousands of meters beneath the deck. And we put our robot in the ocean, this massive car sized machine that's going to be our eyes and ears and hands in the deep. But we've also clasped in its hand a dead alligator, which had never been done before. So we watched this alligator disappear down beneath the waves, this robot sinking down with it. And we waited until the cameras came on and we ran back into the control room and could look at the screens, which is the video coming up from this robot as it's sinking down into the deep. And we can see that the water at first is green and there's light, but quite quickly it's getting darker. We can see the sunlight is running out all around it as it's sinking down and down. It took an hour for it to reach our destination, which was a 2000 meters down on the seabed, on the abyss, these abyssal plains, just big undulating, muddy seabed. And we finally saw the robot landing down on the seabed. And then we lay the alligator down on the seabed and we left it there and we came back a day later, went back down and we didn't know what we were going to see. It was really exciting. It's one of those things you just think, oh, you know, what could be? Will it just. Will have anything found it? Will it be, will it be still there? And the camera panned around across the seabed. You know, just imagine that what you can see is as far as the lights can go and there on the seabed is our alligator. It's still there, but it's been found and it's covered in these giant scavenging Crustaceans called isopods. Giant isopods. Imagine an animal the size and almost the shape of a rugby ball. Pale pink in color. An odd color for the deep, you might think, but, yeah, pale pink. They look like woodlice. They're actually relatives of woodlice that you would see, you know, under a flower pot or scuttling across the garden. But massive. They're huge. And they were, they were eating this alligator they found. They'd clearly smelt it. I imagine there was probably chemicals in the water wafting away from this slowly decomposing body, and they'd found the softer parts of it to start eating. And then they were really getting into it because they're scavengers. They. The big thing about their big bodies is that that gives them huge stores of energy. They're basically fat and they're filling up those energy supplies so that they don't have to feed again for months. And that is what the deep sea is all about. It's about surviving in conditions that are super challenging. And there isn't a lot of food, there's no light. There is a lot of pressure of all that water crushing down. But life finds a way. And if it means scavenging on an alligator that some scientists have left for you, then, you know, that's great. It wasn't the only alligator we took down. There was another one. We left it for longer. We went back after a few weeks and it was completely gone. Something had chewed through the rope. And we will never know exactly what did take that alligator away, but in my mind, I think it was a giant squid and it could have been biting through that rope, deciding that this was really the jackpot food that they'd found in this bit. Big, long alligator, and they had grappled it and taken it off into the dark to go and feed. That's what I think. I think that's what happened.

[Hannah Stittfall]

Welcome to a brand new series of Oceans Life Underwater, a series about our watery world and some fascinating species that live below the waves.

[Scientist]

Hannah.

[Hannah Stittfall]

I'm Hannah Stittfel. I'm a zoologist, wildlife filmmaker and broadcaster. And I'm bringing you along as I continue to learn more about the waters that dominate our planet. To find out more about Greenpeace's work to protect the oceans and how you can support, go to greenpeace.org oceans.