Episode 503: Creatures of the Deep

In the cold, deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico, little-known animals spend their entire lives in near darkness, far removed from our human world. Until now, little research has been conducted on these creatures of the deep, keeping much of their lives a mystery.

Then, in April of 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, setting off the largest marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry. Roughly 4.9 million barrels of crude oil gushed out of the well at a depth of five thousand feet. In the disaster’s aftermath, many questions arose about what lives in the deep waters of the Gulf, and how these animals may have been impacted by the oil. To answer these questions, scientists from the Deep-C Consortium’s ecology team conduct regular research trips in the area.

Experts

Meet the experts featured in this episode.

Episode Photos

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The R/V Weatherbird docked in Panama City.

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The R/V Weatherbird docked in Panama City.

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Videographer Sean Hickey looks on as Dean Grubbs, Ph.D. and Kelly Kingon prepare to deploy traps.

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Dean Grubbs, Ph.D. (center) and Chip Cotton, Ph.D. (left), and Research Assistant Kelly Kingon (right) peek over the edge of the boat to see what’s on the line.

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Lead scientist Dean Grubbs, Ph.D. hands a shark to Research Assistant Kelly Kingon to be processed.

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An almost 15 foot bluntnose sixgill shark that came up from the deep.

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Videographer Sean Hickey films Research Assistant Brenda Anderson and Dean Grubbs, Ph.D. as they conduct an ultrasound on a female bluntnose sixgill shark.

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A gulper shark.

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Videographer Sean Hickey films Dean Grubbs, Ph.D. as he is holding a deep sea shark.

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Videographer Sean Hickey films the science team as they work up the animals that were caught.

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A cutthroat eel.

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The science team prepping the hooks for the next long line.

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Dean Grubbs, Ph.D. identifies a fish with the help of a reference book.

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A giant isopod resembles a storm trooper from Star Wars when you look at it head-on.

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The science team ready to haul back lines and traps.

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Videographer Sean Hickey films the science team as they haul up a large trap.

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Research Assistant Chris Malinowski holds up a trap covered in hagfish slime.

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A bucket full of slimy hagfish. Their skin is used to make eel skin products.

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A dead hagfish awaiting dissection. These animals are hermaphrodites, but little is known about how their reproductive process works exactly.

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Dean Grubbs, Ph.D. taking a picture of a female gulper shark and its pup. Felicia Coleman, Ph.D. and Chip Cotton, Ph.D. are watching.

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The pups of a Squalus cf. mitsukurii. Little is known about the reproduction of this shark species.

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A green lanternshark.

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A deep sea red crab that was caught in a trap.

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A giant red hermit crab.

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A giant isopod.

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A blacktail moray eel.

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A green lanternshark.

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The science team, ship’s crew, and Changing Seas gang back in port after an exciting 10 days at sea.

Special Thanks:

Howard Johnson Inn Ocala
3951 NW Blitchton Road
Ocala, Florida
(352) 629-7021

Image Credits

Changing Seas would like to thank the following individuals and institutions who kindly allowed their footage, images and other media to be used in this production:

ABCNEWS VideoSource

Seattle Aquarium

Savannah State University
Chip Cotton

Florida State University

Dean Grubbs

Ian MacDonald

Jeff Chanton

Meredith Field

Nico Wienders

NASA/GSFC, MODIS Rapid Response

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Department of Commerce

United States Air Force

United States Coast Guard

United States Navy

Special Thanks:

R/V Weatherbird II Crew

Tracy Ippolito

Episode 503: Creatures of the Deep

Experts

Dean Grubbs, Ph.D.

Chip Cotton, Ph.D.

Felicia Coleman, Ph.D.

Brenda Anderson

Johanna Imhoff

Cheston Peterson

Special Thanks:

Image Credits

Special Thanks:

Web Extras

Fish Identification

Deep Sea Snack

Hagfish Show and Tell

Under Pressure - The Effects of Depth on Styrofoam

Hagfish Dissection

Gulper Shark Reproduction

Deep Sea Fishes in The Gulf of Mexico

Funding for this episode of Changing Seas was provided by: