Introducing...Oceans: Life Under Water

Summary

Tortoise Investigates: Introducing...Oceans: Life Under Water

Podcast Information:

• Title: Tortoise Investigates
• Hosted by: The Observer
• Episode: Introducing...Oceans: Life Under Water
• Release Date: May 19, 2025
• Description: This episode delves into the mysterious and often unseen life that thrives beneath the ocean's surface. Through a compelling narrative, listeners explore the deep sea's enigmatic ecosystems and the survival strategies of its inhabitants.

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Summary

Introduction to the Deep Sea Mystery

The episode opens with an intriguing premise that sets the stage for an exploration into the unknown depths of the ocean. The Narrator introduces listeners to a unique experiment involving an alligator, a deep-sea robot, and the mysteries that lie beneath 2000 meters of oceanic pressure.

“It's the deep ocean like you've never heard it before. Eerie, otherworldly and full of surprises.”
— Narrator [00:00]

The Expedition: Deploying the Robot and Alligator

A team of scientists embarks on their mission aboard a research ship stationed far offshore. Their primary instruments include a massive, car-sized robot designed to navigate the abyssal plains—the vast, muddy seabed of the deep ocean.

The scientists attach a dead alligator to the robot, marking a groundbreaking approach to studying deep-sea scavengers. They witness the robot and alligator descend through the ocean's layers, transitioning from green-lit waters to complete darkness as they reach their destination.

“We can see the sunlight is running out all around it as it's sinking down and down.”
— Scientist [01:05]

Revealing the Abyssal Plains

After an hour-long descent, the robot lands on the abyssal plain. The team deposits the alligator onto the seabed, unsure of what amassing eyes will witness its fate. Returning a day later, their anticipation turns to astonishment.

Upon reviewing the footage, they discover the alligator has been extensively scavenged by giant isopods, crustaceans resembling oversized woodlice.

“They were eating this alligator... filling up those energy supplies so that they don't have to feed again for months.”
— Scientist [04:20]

These isopods, measuring the size of a rugby ball and exhibiting a pale pink hue, demonstrate the deep sea's harsh survival conditions. Their ability to store vast amounts of energy allows them to thrive in an environment where food is scarce and conditions are extreme.

Extended Observations and Unresolved Mysteries

The team conducted a second experiment with another alligator, leaving it on the seabed for several weeks. Upon their return, the alligator had completely vanished. While the exact predator remains unknown, the scientist hypothesizes that a giant squid might have been responsible, severing the rope to seize the easy meal.

“I think that's what happened. They had grappled it and taken it off into the dark to go and feed.”
— Scientist [05:00]

This observation underscores the deep ocean's mysterious and often unforgiving nature, where large predators may yet lie in wait for opportunities to feed.

Hannah Stittfall’s Introduction to the Series

The episode transitions to introduce Hannah Stittfall, a zoologist, wildlife filmmaker, and broadcaster, who spearheads the series "Oceans Life Underwater." Hannah emphasizes her commitment to unveiling the hidden marvels of our planet's vast waters and invites listeners to join her journey of discovery.

“I'm bringing you along as I continue to learn more about the waters that dominate our planet.”
— Hannah Stittfall [05:14]

She also highlights Greenpeace's efforts in ocean conservation, encouraging listeners to support and learn more about protecting these vital ecosystems.

Conclusion and Further Engagement

The episode concludes by directing listeners to continue exploring the "Oceans: Life Under Water" series through various platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and the Tortoise app. The collaboration between Greenpeace and Crowd Network underscores the importance of collective efforts in understanding and preserving oceanic life.

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Key Takeaways

• Innovative Research Methods: Utilizing robots to study deep-sea ecosystems provides unprecedented insights into the behaviors and survival mechanisms of deep-sea creatures.

• Role of Scavengers: Giant isopods play a crucial role in the abyssal plains by recycling nutrients from dead organisms, highlighting the interconnectedness of oceanic life.

• Unsolved Mysteries: The disappearance of the second alligator opens discussions about the presence of large, undiscovered predators in the deep sea, such as giant squids.

• Conservation Awareness: The partnership with Greenpeace emphasizes the urgent need to protect fragile deep-sea environments from human-induced threats.

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Notable Quotes

• “It's the deep ocean like you've never heard it before. Eerie, otherworldly and full of surprises.”
  — Narrator [00:00]

• “They were eating this alligator... filling up those energy supplies so that they don't have to feed again for months.”
  — Scientist [04:20]

• “I'm bringing you along as I continue to learn more about the waters that dominate our planet.”
  — Hannah Stittfall [05:14]

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Final Thoughts

"Introducing...Oceans: Life Under Water" serves as a captivating entry point into the series, blending scientific exploration with storytelling to illuminate the enigmatic life forms inhabiting the ocean's depths. By showcasing innovative research and highlighting the perseverance of deep-sea organisms, the episode not only educates but also inspires a sense of wonder and responsibility towards our planet's most mysterious frontier.

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For more episodes and updates, subscribe to The Observer+ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or the Tortoise app. To support ocean conservation efforts, visit greenpeace.org/oceans.

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.