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1 Chapter 1 : best Creatures of the Waters images on Pinterest Water animals, Marine life and Ocean life Deep-Sea Creatures Photos Adaptation is the name of the game when you live thousands of feet below the water's surface. See how these deep-sea denizens make the most of their deep, dark home. Enzler MSc An assemblage of myths and legends on water and water creatures Creatures People Locations Gods Literature Old stories can be divided into history, myths and legends. History describes events we know actually happened, whereas myths and legends, though often repeated by generation after generation, were never actually proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. The difference between legends and myths is that legends, or saga, tell the stories of heroes and their heroic actions, whereas myths tell the stories of creatures, divine beings and gods and how they came to be. In this sense, myths are more like fairytales told to young children. Water plays an important role in many legends and myths. There are mythological water beings and gods, stories of heroes that have something to do with water, and even stories of isles and continents lost below the surface. This page contains a selection of the most commonly known legends and myths with regard to water. In the final section we recommend some literature for those who are interested. Creatures Ashrays Scottish mythology tells us Ashrays, or Water Lovers, are completely translucent water creatures that are often mistaken for sea ghosts. They can be both male and female and can be found only under water. Being completely nocturnal, one would never come across such creatures during the day. When captured and exposed to sunlight ashrays supposedly melt and only a puddle of water remains. She would appear near rivers in foggy weather, and whoever decided to ride on her back was unable to get off again. The horse would than jump into the river, drowning the rider. Blue men of the Minch These supernatural sea creatures were said to live in underwater caves in the Minch, a straight between Lewis, Long Island and the Shiant Islands near Scotland. The Blue Men looked like humans with blue skins. They where infamous for swimming alongside passing ships, and attempting to wreck them by conjuring storms and by luring sailors into the water. If a captain wanted to save his ship he had to finish their rhymes and solve their riddles, and always make sure he got the last word. The Blue men were actually hierarchical, as they were always ruled over by a chieftain. This led to the assumption they are somehow related to mermen. Some think the Blue Men may be Fallen Angels. Bunyip Bunyip literally means devil, or spirit. It is a mythological creature from Aboriginal Australia that was said to lurk in swamps, creeks, riverbeds and waterholes. Aborigines thought they could hear their cries at night. They believed Bunyip took humans as a food source when their stock was disturbed, preferably women, and they tended to blame the Bunyip for disease spread in the river area. Bunyip supposedly had flippers, a horse-like tail and walrus-like tusks. It is now said that Bunyip are a figment of Aborigine imagination, because the cries they heard actually belonged to possums, or koalas. The cries of women supposedly being captured may actually have been sounds of a barking owl. She was considered the personification of the dangers of the sea. Her husband was Phorcys, and their children were called the Phorcydes. These include the Hesperides nymphs, the Graeae archaic water goddesses, the gorgons female monsters with sharp fangs and hair of venomous snakes, such as Medusa, sea monster Scylla, and other water nymphs and sea monsters. Ceto eventually became the name for any sea monster. Charon and the hellhound Charon was a mythological old ferryman that ferried the dead into the Underworld, crossing the river Acheron river of woe. He only took the soles of those buried properly with a coin in their mouths. The river was guarded by a hellhound that allowed no soles ever to leave the realm of the dead. In Greek mythology this was a three-headed dog by the name of Cerberus. In Norse mythology, this was a blood-drenched hellhound with four eyes by the name of Garm. Chessie A story is told about the Chesapeake Bay area between Virginia and Maryland being home to a sea monster, often referred to as Chessie. Some sightings were reported of a serpent-like creature with flippers and scales. Dragon Kings Dragon Kings were believed by the Chinese to consist of four separate dragons, each of which ruled over one of the four seas in the north, east, south and west. These Dragon Kings could shape-shift to human form, and lived in crystal palaces guarded by shrimps and crabs. Fosse grim According to Scandinavian mythology, Fosse grim was a water spirit that played enchanted songs on the violin, luring women and children to drown in lakes and streams. However, in some stories he is depicted as a harmless Page 1

2 creature, simply entertaining men, women and children with his songs. According to myth Fosse grim even agreed to live with a human that fell in love with him, but he supposedly left after some time because he could not live away from a water source too long. Grindylows These water demons were first mentioned in British folktales in the county of Yorkshire. Parents told their children stories of grindylows to prevent them from getting in the cold water in the area. Grindylows supposedly had long fingers that would drag children into the deep. Jengu These were water spirits in mythology of the Sawa, an ethnic group in Cameroon. They supposedly resembled merpeople, but were thought to be gap-toothed and had long, woolly hair. The Sawa believed these spirits could act as an intermediate between the living and the spiritual world. Jengu were also thought to cure disease, and played an important role in some tribal rites, for example when a child entered adulthood. Kappas Kappas are presumably intelligent water spirits in Japanese mythology. They are monkey-like creatures with saucer-shaped heads, long noses, and a yellowish-green skin. Kappas are said to lure children to the water and pull them under, feeding on their blood. Their main weakness is that their heads are filled with water, and when this is spilled they lose their powers. Kraken The Kraken is a legendary sea monster often mentioned in pirate myths. It was said to dwell off the coasts of Norway and Iceland. People thought the monster to be some sort of giant squid, living in the deep of the ocean and surfacing from time to time to attack ships. Some claim that islands that were seen from time to time and subsequently vanished may actually have been Kraken sightings. It is stated that some traits of the Kraken resemble undersea volcanic activity in the Scandinavian region, including bubbles and currents. Lady of the Lake The Lady of the Lake is the name of a mythological aquatic spirit in several different legends, including the famous legend of King Arthur. As Lancelot was raised he received a ring from The Lady that would protect him from all magic. Nessie Nessie is a mysterious creature claimed to inhabit the Loch ness lake near Inverness, Scotland. The creature is often thought of as female, because of the female tone in its nickname. There are many reports of sightings and some people have even taken pictures they claim to be the monster, but none has been marked conclusive evidence so far. The creature is now thought to be a plesiosaur a carnivorous aquatic animal from the dinosaur era. Many palaeontologists are against the theory, and claim that the water is to cold for a cold-blooded dinosaur to live in, and that the loch simply does not have enough food to preserve it. Additionally, the dinosaur would have to surface often to breathe, and therefore it would have been seen more often. Some palaeontologists claim it is impossible for an animal that went extinct millions of years ago to live in a lake that dates only 10, years back. But many people still believe, stating that animals can adapt to different conditions through time. Leviathan In biblical mythology Leviathan was a sea monster from ancient Canaan, associated with Satan. The monster was usually portrayed as a twining sea serpent, which was applied as a symbol for chaos. Other religions generally portrayed Leviathan as a whale demon with seven heads, and he was believed to be king of lies, or king of fish. In Modern Hebrew, Leviathan simply means whale. Goar inhabited a beautiful virgin named Loreley. The river by the rock was very narrow, and hence it was a dangerous place for ships to sale. Myth tells us Loreley endangered shippers by singing, because they would look up and subsequently sale their ships onto the rocks. She saw them and called upon the river to aid her. Consequently, the rocks flooded and Loreley was carried away overseas, never to be seen again. Melusine Melusine was a feminine spirit of freshwater in sacred springs and rivers in European mythology. She is usually depicted as a kind of mermaid, and may even have wings in some pictures. One story tells us she was born to the fay Pressyne and a common man, and taken to the isle of Avalon when she was little to grow up there. When she heard of her human father betraying her mother, she sought revenge on him. Her mother heard of this and cursed her to look like a serpent from the waste down. She supposedly got scaled arms and fins for hands, and could never change back to her old form. Merpeople Many a myth represented merpeople as creatures having the head and upper body of a human, and a fishtail instead of legs. Female merpeople are known as mermaids, and male merpeople are known as mermen. They usually had great beauty and charm, and thereby lured sailor men to their deaths. Some stories include mermaids altering their form to resemble humans. Nereids In Greek mythology Nereids were the nymphs of the sea. They were daughters of Nereus the sea god, and his wife Doris. Unlike sirens, Nereids were depicted friendly folk, always helping sailors through rough storms. They mainly lived in the Mediterranean Sea. Examples include Thetis and Amphrite see 4. Page 2

3 Panlong Dragons played an important role in Chinese mythology. They were often bound to the elements. Panlong were the water dragons, believed to inhabit the waters of the entire Orient the Near, Middle and Far East. Rusalka Rusalka were female ghosts in Slavic mythology. They were thought to be souls of young women died in or near lakes that had usually been murdered. Page 3

4 Chapter 2 : Sea Monsters AMNH Water beckons us. It is soothing and seductive but it's also capable of unleashing deadly force. The mythic creatures that inhabit the depths give form to water's essential mysteries. They arouse feelings of curiosity, hope--and bottomless fear. Like water itself, these creatures can be beautiful. Real Sea Monsters and Mythical Creatures of the Deep Updated on October 20, more With interests in science, nature, and the paranormal, cryptid explores fringe topics from a unique and sometimes controversial perspective. Of all the things sailors considered to be bad luck getting dragged to the depths of the sea by a giant monster was surely at the top of the list. Source Mythical Sea Creatures Myths of sea monsters have been in existence likely since the first moment early humans laid their eyes on the ocean. No doubt their imaginations began to manufacture all sorts of amazing and terrifying sea creatures that might dwell beyond the rolling surf. When Europeans began travelling regularly to the New World, sailors who crossed the massive oceans braved dangerous seas, huge storms, enemy navies and maybe even a few pirates. But just as they feared the dangers above the waves, they were still wary of what may await them beneath. In fact, they so worried about the beasties of the deep that some maps of the day marked the locations where these animals were said to haunt. Today the ocean remains mysterious for most of us, dark and a little frightening. But what if there was some truth to the myths and legends of ancient sailors? Real Sea Monsters The sailors of days gone by believed in many terrifying creatures. Some sound funny today, and we can chalk it all up to superstition and nerves, but on the other hand these sailors had to be seeing something. Did they imagine it all? Dip a little too deep into the rum cask, maybe? Or, perhaps they were actually seeing real sea monsters. The Kraken The kraken is a monstrous, multi-tentacle sea creature capable of emerging from the depths and dragging a ship to the bottom. It sounds insane, but could there be some truth to these stories? We now know of giant squid capable of reaching over 30 feet in length, a true sea monster. And, there is another species called the Colossal Squid, just as long with a more massive body. Squid usually dwell in deeper water by day, and come closer to the surface at night. There are even a few tales of giant squid attacking boats. Could sightings of these massive creatures have led to stories of the Kraken? The giant and colossal squid are two animals that are only recently coming into the scientific light. In the past, surely they would have been considered monsters. Mermaids Top like a woman, bottom like a fish. It might sound like a good thing, but mermaids were bad luck for sailors who believed they would enchant them into losing their loot, or even their lives. One explanation for these sightings could be the manatee. Manatees are large, aquatic mammals with flippers they can use like arms, and paddle-like tails. Though one would have to imagine these sailors to be awfully lonely indeed, some experts say the isolation and stress brought on by long sea voyages could very well cause such a misidentification. Did lonely sailors mistake the manatee for a mermaid? Source Sea Serpents With a snake-like body, a head like a dragon and spikes along its back, no wonder stories of the sea serpent struck fear into sailors. This description might sound fantastic, but it fits a very real animal which may have accounted for these sightings. The giant oarfish is a deep-ocean species that can reach over 50 feet in length. They remain in the depths in the light of day, and may migrate into the upper water column at night. Biologists say it would be rare for the oarfish to come all the way to the surface, but if one did come within sight of a ship it would surely be mistaken for a massive serpent. Despite its fearsome appearance, the oarfish is harmless to humans. Though rare, they are occasionally encountered by divers. The bizarre Oarfish may be at the root of sea serpent legends throughout history. Source Giant Octopus As feared as the kraken is the massive octopus, lurking beneath the sea and ready to reach up and snatch sailors off deck. But these fears of giant octopus may in reality be driven by sightings of, well, giant octopus. The Giant Pacific Octopus can reach a length of over 20 feet across, certainly large enough to worry a diver or even a small boat. Octopus are intelligent creatures, with excellent problem-solving abilities. But the best thing about it is this: No matter how wild our imaginations get, the reality of these creatures is even more incredible. The recent discoveries surrounding the giant squid reveal it to be more interesting that any mythical sea creature. This is a real sea monster, a flesh-and-blood animal that shares our world. Or take the giant octopus, which is revealed to Page 4

5 possess amazing intelligence and problem-solving abilities. Consider the case of the coelacanth, and bizarre prehistoric fish thought to have gone extinct at the time of the dinosaurs, only to re-emerge in recent years. Unlike ancient sailors, we have better resources available for understanding our world, and bringing mythical sea creatures to light. Are there still large sea creatures yet to be discovered somewhere in the oceans of the world? The sea is a big place. Maybe, but it seems like we should have discovered them by now. Page 5

6 Chapter 3 : 10 Extraordinary Creatures Of Antarctica - Listverse Creatures of the Waters (Britannica Learning Library) [Encyclopedia Britannica] on blog.quintoapp.com *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. What is the only frozen planet? Today the Foo Fighters is a rock band, but did you know that in World War II American pilots gave the name to mysterious UFOs--floating lights they saw over Germany. Share Shares 30 Whenever people think of Antarctica, the images of stunning icebergs, glaciers, and plenty of snow likely come to their minds. Additionally, whenever they imagine Antarctic life, it probably includes pictures of penguins, seals, skuas, and the krill that are found in the Southern Ocean. However, many other fascinating discoveries have been made in Antarctica over the decades. Scientists are slowly unraveling one mystery at a time in a land that is full of extraordinary creatures. These animals live on the bottom of the Southern Ocean near the coast of the continent. This particular feather star prefers to live in cold waters. However, that is not the only trait that makes this creature different from many other types of feather stars. Promachocrinus kerguelensis appears to be denser and more feathery than it really is. They swim quite gracefully because they are well-coordinated whenever they are moving. They are the largest creature known to swim this way. Comb jellies come in different shapes and sizes. Some are bell-shaped, while others are spherical. Whenever light strikes their paddles, they emit different colors, which give them a unique appearance. They are also bioluminescent, which produces a blue-green light. Comb jellies live mostly on the ocean surface, where it is more acidic and warmer due to higher levels of carbon dioxide, and they thrive on that. Like jellyfish, ctenophores are predators. Instead of stinging cells, however, comb jellies use their sticky secretions to catch small animals. Supposedly, he was quite honored that a creature was nicknamed after his hairy chest. Later, the crab was given the scientific name of Kiwa tyleri. That is too cold for the crab to handle, so it huddles around so-called hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor. The volcanic rock systems heat up the area. The crab uses its comblike mouthparts to scrape off the bacteria and eat them for dinner or breakfast or lunch. These creatures can be as large as 35 centimeters 14 in in diameter. Due to an oversupply of oxygen in the area, scientists believe that the sea spiders evolved larger body sizes over time. Giant sea spiders can also be found in Arctic waters. In fact, the Southern Ocean is filled with these things. They are isopods, an order of crustaceans, and belong to the Antarcturidae family. When it wants food, it simply extends its long frontal appendages and snags some tasty planktonic prey. It is quite frightening to look at. The Antarctic scale worm aka Eulagisca gigantea is around 20 centimeters 8 in long and 10 centimeters 4 in wide. These flat, short worms are in the Polynoidae family. The scales that cover their bodies are called elytra. When it wants to chow down, it simply unrolls its long proboscis and rips its prey to shreds. They live in the frigid Antarctic waters but are land creatures, too. Like many of the other animals that live in the polar regions, they are incredibly large. The sandhopper has earned that name because it jumps far if disturbed. This animal leaps by first tucking in its tail and then flipping it out. If you enjoy eating seafood such as lobster, crab, and shrimp, then there is no reason for sandhoppers to scare you. All these animals are related. They are quite abundant off the coast of Antarctica and tend to stick together in large gatherings. However, it is unlikely that you will see any because they live in the deepest part of the Southern Ocean. They serve an important purpose in the water. As with earthworms on land, sea pigs are needed to eat scum, mud, and decaying plant matter on the ocean floor. It is unknown how they mate, and their life span is also a mystery. They taste nothing like bacon, but they are full of toxins. They are hexapods and have similarities to insects. Usually, they are less than 1 millimeter 0. Of course, there are bigger animalsâ such as penguinsâ that live on land, but they also live at times in the water. Unlike insects, springtails have internal mouth organs. But they look like earwigs. Their diet consists of fungus and bacteria. However, scientists have found that Antarctic springtails live longer than their counterparts in temperate parts of the world. The Antarctic springtails have only been found on parts of the continent that have no glaciers as well as in Victoria Land and the Antarctic Peninsula. Their skill for survival in such a harsh land is that they can slow their metabolism to conserve energy. They are also able to produce glycerol which reduces their freezing point. However, if the conditions are too harsh, they will die. Their superpowers can only take them so far. However, their skeletons are made of silica, which is a Page 6

7 component of glass. Their diet consists of organic debris, and they are not exactly picky eaters. They will devour whatever the ocean serves them. However, scientists now know that these creatures do indeed grow quickly. This discovery was made by marine biologists in This has changed the conditions on the continent and in the Southern Ocean. Scientists are working to find the cause of this for two reasons: They want to understand sponge ecology better, and these sea animals have the potential to store carbon. This is a huge motivating factor for scientists to unravel the mystery behind the growth of glass sponges. This may help researchers to understand some of the reasons behind climate change, which we all know is important to find out. Miriam Slozberg is a Canadian mom, blogger, astrologer, ghostwriter, and freelance writer who has an eccentric sense of humor and way of thinking. Page 7

8 Chapter 4 : List of legendary creatures by type - Wikipedia Find this Pin and more on Creatures of the Waters by Sue Clem. Unlike most sea creatures, sea horses are monogamous for life and are the only species on earth in which the male carry the unborn young. Share Shares 1K The Amazon rain forest is an immense ecosystem, providing a habitat for creatures as weird and wonderful as the jaguar, the poison dart frog and the Jesus lizard. In the depths of the Amazon River, the largest river in the world, live creatures so amazing and so terrifying, that they make Jaws look like a nice, relaxing swim in the ocean. They can grow up to six meters 20 feet long, with bigger, heavier skulls than Nile crocodiles, and are the apex predator in the Amazonian waters. That means they are basically the kings of the riverâ they eat nearly anything they can get their teeth into, including piranhas, monkeys, perch, deer, and anaconda. Oh, and yes, they totally attack humans. In, a biologist named Deise Nishimura was attacked by a caiman while cleaning a fish on her houseboat, and while she managed to fight it off, it took one of her legs with it. This particular caiman had been living under her houseboat for eight months, evidently waiting for the chance to strike. If these terrifying animals fascinate you, you can always find more in Walking the Jungle: While reticulated pythons are actually longer, green anaconda are far heavier; the females, generally larger than males, can reach kilograms lbs, grow to nine meters over 29 feet long and reach 30 centimeters 12 in in diameter. They are not venomous but instead use their immense muscular power to constrict and suffocate their prey, which includes capybara, deer, caiman, and even jaguars. Preferring shallower waters that allow them to stealthily sneak up on their prey, they tend to live in offshoots of the Amazon rather than the river itself. Encased in armored scales, they think nothing of living in piranha-infested watersâ and they are pretty effective predators themselves, feeding on fish and the occasional bird. Arapaima tend to stay close to the surface, because they need to breathe surface air in addition to taking in oxygen through their gills, and make a distinctive coughing sound when they emerge for air. They can reach 2. These fish are so vicious that even their tongue has teeth. They are the longest examples of the weasel family, with adult males reaching up to two meters over six feet from head to tail. Their diet primarily consists of fish and crabs, which they hunt in family groups of three to eight members, and they can eat up to four kilograms nine pounds of seafood per day. They hold their own against caiman as well. One family was seen devouring a 1. Candiru are small, parasitic, freshwater catfish famous for launching themselves up the urethra of anyone foolish enough to urinate in the river, and getting lodged into the urinary tract because of the spines that run along their backs. While documented cases are rare, and there is some debate over whether these types of injuries occur at all, there is at least one documented case of a man requiring surgery to remove a candiru from his urethraâ which had also attempted to burrow through to his testicles. They have special kidneys that can sense the change in salinity of the surrounding water and adapt accordingly. And you do not want to meet one of these in the river; it is common for them to reach 3. Like many sharks, they have several rows of sharp, triangular teeth and immensely powerful jaws, with a bite force of kilograms 1, lb. Combined with their habit of living near densely populated areas, this has led many experts to label them the most dangerous sharks in the world. They can grow up to 2. These charges can reach up to volts, five times the charge of an average American plug socket, and enough to knock a horse off its feet. Many of the disappearances recorded in the region have been attributed to eels that have stunned their victims and left them to drown in the river. Luckily for our species, the eels, while carnivorous, tend to stick to eating fish, amphibians, birds, and small mammals. They locate their prey by sending out small, volt shocks from their electrocyte cells, before stunning or killing them with larger shocks. Like all piranhas, red-bellies have incredibly sharp teeth, one row on each of their powerful upper and lower jaws. These teeth are interlocking, which makes them perfect for tearing and rending the flesh of their prey. These attacks are rare and are usually the result of starvation or provocation. Discover the people who still live there with The Unconquered: They are absolutely ferocious predators, capable of devouring fish up to half their own body size. Given that they can grow up to 1. A large part of their diet is made up of piranhas, which should give you some idea of how tough these fanged fiends can be. They get their name from the two tusks that sprout from their lower jaw, which can grow up to 15 centimeters Page 8

9 six inches long and which they use to literally impale their prey after viciously lunging at them. Their fangs are so big, in fact, that they have special holes in their upper jaw to avoid impaling themselves. Unlike most of the creatures on this list, the pacu is actually omnivorous, and a good part of its diet is comprised of fruit and nuts. Pacu are alleged to have occasionally bitten off the testicles of male swimmers, with reports of men in Papua New Guinea being killed by pacu after the fish apparently mistook their genitalia for an easy snack. Matthew is unemployed and writes to pretend he is useful to society. You can find his short and sometimes funny stories here. Page 9

10 Chapter 5 : The Deep Sea ~ Ocean biology, Marine life, Sea creatures, Marine conservation ~ blog.quintoa Underwater Creatures Ocean creatures Underwater Life Curious creatures Strange creatures Strange Animals Deep Blue Deep sea Striped pyjamas Forward The Striped Pyjama Squid (Sepioloidea lineolata) is a cuttlefish native to the southern Indo-Pacific. The deep sea is the largest habitat on earth and is largely unexplored. More people have traveled into space than have traveled to the deep ocean realm Though these zones contain an abundance of ocean life because sunlight is available for photosynthesis, they make up only a small fraction of the ocean biome. In fact, most of the ocean is cold, dark and deep. It is important to realize that photosynthesis occurs only down to about - m, and sunlight disappears altogether at 1, m or less, while the ocean descends to a maximum depth of about 11, m in the Mariana Trench! Until recently, the deep sea was largely unexplored. But advances in deep sea submersibles and image capturing and sampling technologies are increasing the opportunities for marine biologists to observe and uncover the mysteries of the deep ocean realm. Deep sea research is vital because this area is such an enormous part of the biosphere. Despite its depth and distance, it is still our backyard in comparison to outer space. And yet, human exploration has revealed more detail about the surface of the moon and Mars that it has about the deep sea! Consider that hydrothermal vents and their unique organisms, which revolutionized our ideas about energy sources and the adaptability of life, were only discovered in There may be yet other life-altering discoveries to be found at the bottom of the ocean. The oceans are divided into two broad realms; the pelagic and the benthic. Pelagic refers to the open water in which swimming and floating organisms live. Organisms living there are called the pelagos. From the shallowest to the deepest, biologists divide the pelagic into the epipelagic less than meters, where there can be photosynthesis, the mesopelagic - 1, meters, the "twilight" zone with faint sunlight but no photosynthesis, the bathypelagic 1, - 4, meters, the abyssopelagic 4, - 6, meters and the deepest, the hadopelagic the deep trenches below 6, meters to about 11, m or 36, feet deep. The last three zones have no sunlight at all. Benthic zones are defined as the bottom sediments and other surfaces of a body of water such as an ocean or a lake. Organisms living in this zone are called benthos. They live in a close relationship with the bottom of the sea, with many of them permanently attached to it, some burrowed in it, others swimming just above it. In oceanic environments, benthic habitats are zoned by depth, generally corresponding to the comparable pelagic zones: There are several types of deep benthic surfaces, each having different life forms. First, most of the deep seafloor consists of mud very fine sediment particles or "ooze" defined as mud with a high percentage of organic remains due to the accumulation of pelagic organisms that sink after they die. Rocky areas are found on the flanks of islands, seamounts, rocky banks, on mid-ocean ridges and their rift valleys, and some parts of continental slopes. At the mid-ocean ridges, where magma wells up and pushes seafloor tectonic plates apart, even flat surfaces are rocky because these areas are too geologically new to have accumulated much mud or ooze. Third, in some areas certain chemical reactions produce unique benthic formations. The best known of these formations are the "smoker" chimneys created by hydrothermal vents, which are described in detail below. Exploration of these zones has presented a challenge to scientists for decades and much remains to be discovered. However, advances in technology are increasingly allowing scientists to learn more about the strange and mysterious life that exists in this harsh environment. Life in the deep sea must withstand total darkness except for non-solar light such as bioluminescence, extreme cold, and great pressure. To learn more about deep-sea marine life, sophisticated data collection devices have been developed to collect observations and even geological and biological samples from the deep. First, advances in observational equipment such as fiber optics that use LED light and low light cameras has increased our understanding of the behaviors and characteristics of deep sea creatures in their natural habitat. Such equipment may be deployed on permanent subsea stations connected to land by fiber optic cables, or on "lander" devices which drop to the seafloor and which are later retrieved typically after a radio command activates the dropping of ballast so the lander may float up. Second, remotely operated vehicles ROVs have been used underwater since the s. ROVs are basically unmanned submarine robots with umbilical cables used to transmit data between the vehicle and researcher for remote operation in Page 10

11 areas where diving is constrained by physical hazards. ROVs are often fitted with video and still cameras as well as with mechanical tools such as mechanical arms for specimen retrieval and measurements. Alvin is an American deep sea submersible built in that has been used extensively over the past 4 decades to shed light on the black ocean depths. Like ROVs, it has cameras and mechanical arms. This sub, which carries 3 people typically a pilot and 2 scientists, has been used for more than 4, dives reaching a maximum depth of more than 4, m. France, Japan and Russia have similar manned scientific submersibles that can reach somewhat greater depths, while China is currently building one to reach 7, m. The bathyscaphe Trieste at the National Museum of the U. Navy in Washington, D. Until, only one manned submarine device has ever reached the bottom of Mariana trench at almost 11, m: Don Walsh was invited to join the expedition. Physical Characteristics of the Deep Sea The physical characteristics that deep sea life must contend with to survive are: All these factors have led to fascinating adaptions of deep sea life for sensing, feeding, reproducing, moving, and avoiding being eaten by predators. Light The deep sea begins below about m, where sunlight becomes inadequate for photosynthesis. From there to about 1, m, the mesopelagic or "twilight" zone, sunlight continues to decrease until it is gone altogether. This faint light is deep blue in color because all the other colors of light are absorbed at depth. The deepest ocean waters below 1, m are as black as night as far as sunlight is concerned. And yet, there IS some light. People who dive deep in a submersible with its lights off are often mesmerized by an incredible "light show" of floating, swirling, zooming flashes of light. This is bioluminescence, a chemical reaction in a microbe or animal body that creates light without heat, and it is very common. And yet, this light is low compared to sunlight, so animals here â as well as those in the mesopelagic zone â need special sensory adaptations. Many deep-sea fish such as the stout blacksmelt have very large eyes to capture what little light exists. Other animals such as tripodfishes are essentially blind and instead rely on other, enhanced senses including smell, touch and vibration. Scientists think bioluminescence has six different functions not all used by any one species: Some swimming sea cucumbers even coat their attackers with sticky glowing mucus so the "police" predators can find them many minutes later. Most bioluminescence is blue, or blue-green, because those are the colors that travel farthest in water. As a result, most animals have lost the ability to see red light, since that is the color of sunlight that disappears first with depth. But a few creatures, like the dragonfish, have evolved the ability to produce red light. This light, which the dragonfish can see, gives it a secret "sniper" light to shine on prey that do not even know they are being lit up! Pressure increases 1 atmosphere atm for each 10 m in depth. The deep sea varies in depth from m to about 11, m, therefore pressure ranges from 20 atm to more than 1, atm. High pressures can cause air pockets, such as in fish swim bladders, to be crushed, but it does not compress water itself very much. Instead, high pressure distorts complex biomolecules â especially membranes and proteins â upon which all life depends. Indeed, many food companies now use high pressure to sterilize their products such as packaged meats. Life appears to cope with pressure effects on biomolecules in two ways. First, their membranes and proteins have pressure-resistant structures that work by mechanisms not yet fully understood, but which also mean their biomolecules do not work well under low pressure in shallow waters. Second, some organisms may use "piezolytes" from the Greek "piezin" for pressure. These are small organic molecules recently discovered that somehow prevent pressure from distorting large biomolecules. One of these piezolytes is trimethylamine oxide TMAO. This molecule is familiar to most people because it gives rise to the fishy smell of marine fish and shrimp. TMAO is found at low levels in shallow marine fish and shrimp that humans routinely eat, but TMAO levels increase linearly with depth and pressure in other species. Really deep fish, including some grenadiers which humans are now fishing, smell much more fishy! Animals brought from great depth to the surface in nets and submersible sample boxes generally die; in the case of some but not most deep-sea fishes, their gas-filled swim bladder adapted to resist high pressure expands to a deadly size. However, the vast majority of deep-sea life has no air pockets that would expand as pressure drops during retrieval. Instead, it is thought that rapid pressure as well as temperature changes kill them because their biomolecules no longer work well high TMAO does not help, as it appears to be too high in deep-sea life for biomolecules to work properly at the surface. Advances in deep sea technology are now enabling scientists to collect species samples in chambers under pressure so that they reach the surface for study in good condition. Pressure-adapted Page 11

12 microbes have been retrieved from trenches down to 11, m, and have been found in the laboratory to have all these adaptations pressure-resistant biomolecules and piezolytes. However, pressure adaptations have only been studied in animals down to about 5, m. We do not yet know if the adaptations found at those depths work at greater depths down to 11, m. Temperature Except in polar waters, the difference in temperature between the euphotic, or sunlit, zone near the surface and the deep sea can be dramatic because of thermoclines, or the separation of water layers of differing temperatures. In most parts of the deep sea, the water temperature is more uniform and constant. However, water never freezes in the deep sea note that, because of salt, seawater freezes at If it did somehow freeze, it would just float to the surface as ice! Life in the deep is thought to adapt to this intense cold in the same ways that shallow marine life does in the polar seas. This is by having "loose" flexible proteins and unsaturated membranes which do not stiffen up in the cold. Membranes are made of fats and need to be somewhat flexible to work well, so you may be familiar with this adaptation in your kitchen. Butter, a saturated fat, is very hard in your refrigerator and would make a poor membrane in the cold, while olive oil â an unsaturated fat â is semi-solid and would make a good flexible membrane. However, as with pressure, there is a tradeoff: Oxygen The dark, cold waters of much of the deep sea have adequate oxygen. This is because cold water can dissolve more oxygen than warm water, and the deepest waters generally originate from shallow polar seas. In certain places in the northern and southern seas, oxygen-rich waters cool off so much that they become dense enough to sink to the bottom of the sea. These so-called thermohaline currents can travel at depth around the globe, and oxygen remains sufficient for life because there is not enough biomass to use it all up. However, there are also oxygen-poor environments in intermediate zones, wherever there is no oxygen made by photosynthesis and there are no thermohaline currents. These areas, called oxygen minimum zones, usually lie at depths between - 1, m in temperate and tropical regions. Here, animals as well as bacteria that feed on decaying food particles descending through the water column use oxygen, which can consequently drop to near zero in some areas. Biologists are still investigating how animals survive under such conditions. Chapter 6 : 10 Terrifying Creatures Of The Amazon River - Listverse The ocean, the original home of earth's animal life, has creatures of every size and type. It's an exciting place to explore. Read through this list of sea animalsâ arranged in alphabetical orderâ to start exploring what's in our seas. See photos, pictures, and facts. Start your journey now. Chapter 7 : List of water deities - Wikipedia Join us as we take a look at 10 of the most dangerous water creatures. Australian Box Jellyfish - This creature is not one to be messed around with if you happen to swim into a swarm of them. Chapter 8 : Water mythology The acantharians are one of the four types of large amoebae that occur in marine open waters. "Large" in this case is relative, as this microscopic creature is have skeletons made of a single. Chapter 9 : Water - Creatures of the Deep AMNH This is a list of legendary creatures from mythology, folklore and fairy tales, sorted by their classification or affiliation. Creatures from modern fantasy fiction and role-playing games are not included. Page 12