What Lives in the Deep Ocean?

🕐 5 min 6 sec 👦 Ages 6–8 🌍 English
Join Koko and Owlo as they explore the mysteries of the deep ocean and discover the amazing creatures that live there!
Understand the depth of the ocean Learn about bioluminescent creatures Explore the conditions of deep-sea habitats
📖 Story Script
                    Koko:
                    Owlo! Owlo! I have the most exciting news. My uncle sent me a video from his research ship in the middle of the ocean!
                
                    Owlo:
                    Oh, how wonderful, Koko! Your uncle is a marine researcher, isn't he? What did he send you?
                
                    Koko:
                    He filmed these glowing creatures in the dark water. They looked like tiny floating lights. I couldn't sleep because I kept thinking about them!
                
                    Owlo:
                    I can see why that would keep you up. The deep ocean is one of the most mysterious places on our entire planet.
                
                    Koko:
                    But Owlo, how deep is the deep ocean? Is it like, really really deep?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Imagine stacking five Mount Everests on top of each other. The deepest part of the ocean, called the Mariana Trench, goes down that far.
                
                    Koko:
                    That is SO deep. It must be super dark down there too.
                
                    Owlo:
                    Completely dark, actually. No sunlight reaches below a certain depth. It is also freezing cold and the water presses down with enormous force.
                
                    Koko:
                    Then how does anything even survive down there? That sounds impossible!
                
                    Owlo:
                    That is exactly what scientists wondered too. Let's head to the library. I have some wonderful books and photographs to show you.
                
                    Koko:
                    Whoa, look at this picture! That fish has a light dangling right in front of its face. It looks like a tiny lamp!
                
                    Owlo:
                    That is called an anglerfish. That glowing lure on its head is used to attract other creatures in the darkness. Then, snap!
                
                    Koko:
                    That is sneaky. And a little bit scary. Is that what my uncle filmed?
                
                    Owlo:
                    It might have been! Many deep sea creatures make their own light. Scientists call this bioluminescence. It means living light.
                
                    Koko:
                    Bio-lumi-nes-cence. That is a big word. So the creatures make their own glow, like a built-in flashlight?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Exactly like that. Some use it to hunt, some use it to talk to each other, and some use it to confuse enemies.
                
                    Koko:
                    A flashlight that also talks? That is the coolest thing I have ever heard. What other creatures live down there?
                
                    Owlo:
                    There are giant squid with eyes as big as dinner plates. There are also vampire squid, which despite the name, are actually quite gentle.
                
                    Koko:
                    Vampire squid! Do they bite?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Not at all. They got that name because of their dark color and the webbing between their arms that looks like a cape.
                
                    Koko:
                    So they just look spooky but they are actually fine. That is kind of like my cousin Remy. He looks grumpy but he is really sweet.
                
                    Owlo:
                    That is a perfect comparison, Koko. Now, here is something that surprises most people. The deep ocean floor is not empty and bare.
                
                    Koko:
                    It isn't? What is down there?
                
                    Owlo:
                    There are hydrothermal vents, which are like hot springs on the ocean floor. They shoot out super hot water full of minerals.
                
                    Koko:
                    Hot springs at the bottom of the freezing cold ocean? That sounds like it shouldn't work at all.
                
                    Owlo:
                    And yet, entire communities of creatures live around those vents. Tube worms as tall as a person, crabs, and tiny microbes all thrive there.
                
                    Koko:
                    They don't even need sunlight! Everything I learned in school says plants need sunlight to make food for animals.
                
                    Owlo:
                    You are absolutely right that most life depends on sunlight. But these creatures use the heat and chemicals from the vents instead. Scientists call it chemosynthesis.
                
                    Koko:
                    So there are two completely different ways life can work on our planet. That is mind-blowing, Owlo.
                
                    Owlo:
                    It is, and it also makes scientists wonder. If life can survive in such extreme places on Earth, could it survive on other planets too?
                
                    Koko:
                    Like on a planet with no sun? We could find glowing alien squid somewhere out in space?
                
                    Owlo:
                    It is not impossible. That is why exploring the deep ocean helps us think bigger about life in the universe.
                
                    Koko:
                    I am going to tell my uncle to look for alien squid on his next dive. He will think I am very scientific.
                
                    Owlo:
                    I think he will be very impressed. Now, before you write to him, can you tell me what you learned today?
                
                    Koko:
                    Okay! So, the deep ocean is super dark, freezing cold, and has crushing pressure, but creatures still live there somehow.
                
                    Koko:
                    Some animals make their own light called bioluminescence, like anglerfish and glowing squid. And there are hot vents on the ocean floor where whole communities live without any sunlight at all.
                
                    Koko:
                    Oh, and vampire squid are not actually scary, they just have a dramatic fashion sense. Next I want to learn about how scientists actually get down there to explore it all!
                
                    Owlo:
                    That is a brilliant summary, and an even better next question. The deep ocean still holds so many secrets, Koko. We have barely scratched the surface.