A Vampire in Danger?

Scientists at our sister institution, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), spend their lives discovering and studying extraordinary -- and largely unknown -- creatures of the deep ocean. These animals live far below the surface, and as Senior Scientist Bruce Robison says, "Most of them have never been seen or described by any human."

There are probably millions of these species, most as fantastic as the vampire squid featured in this new video & very cool video on MBARI's YouTube channel.

But as Robison also notes, and has told the world in a paper published late last year, out of sight does not mean out of danger.

These animals, he says, "are threatened by ocean warming, decreasing oxygen, pollution, overfishing, industrialization and dozens of other changes taking place in the deep."

If we don't act to limit our impacts on this unexplored world, Robison says, we put this world at risk -- without even knowing what we're losing. More and better scientific exploration of the deep is imperative, as is extending the safeguards of marine protected areas to the deep ocean as well as to familiar coastal waters.

Photos and video © MBARI

Comments

[Environment Sounds Save Manatees]

So so Sad....Wanna help it...

[Ken Peterson]

Very much so! Pretty wild.....

[postcard printing]

Is this for real?