Hi, I'm Ro Kinzler . I'm a scientist at the American Museum of Natural History. Did you know that we have found life everywhere we have looked on Earth, from the driest desert to the coldest tundra? But, until recently we didn't think anything lived in the cold, pitch-black world at the bottom of the ocean.
Then scientists discovered deep sea vents , which are like underwater geysers that spew out hot, mineral-rich water from beneath the seafloor. To their surprise, scientists also found an amazing diversity of life around them.
What kinds of life survive down there? Are they like anything you've ever seen before? Take a journey to the seafloor and find out!
To get there, you'll have to descend thousands of meters below sea level. The pressure at these depths is so extreme, it would instantly crush a human. Lucky for you, there's Alvin , a submersible designed to descend 4,500 meters (14,760 feet) below sea level.
All aboard! Press the dive arrow to start your journey to the bottom of the ocean.
Image Credits:
Photos: Ro Kinzler: courtesy of AMNH; Illustrations: Alvin exterior and interior, school of fish, jellyfish, deep-sea angler fish: Ned Shaw; deep sea vents and animals: Kathy Konkle