Chapter 1
Journey to the absolute bottom of the world
Chapter 2
Colossal records of the open sea
Chapter 3
Masterpieces of geological and biological design
Chapter 4
Bioluminescence and phantom lights of the sea
Ch 3 · Masterpieces of geological and biological design
schopenhauer Glass Sponge Reefs
Reefs made of glass in the cold and the deep! (Cold and the deep!) Thought they were gone, but a secret they keep! (Yeah, they keep!)
schopenhauer Underwater geysers spew mineral-rich water at temperatures exceeding 400 degrees Celsius.
Fun Fact
Ancient structures: The stalactites inside Belize's Great Blue Hole show that the cave was formed and flooded in multiple stages between 15,000 and 150,000 years ago.
schopenhauer A stunning visual phenomenon off the coast of East Africa mimics a cascading abyss.
Glossary
atoll (noun)
A ring-shaped coral reef, island, or chain of islands that surrounds a lagoon. In 1842, Charles Darwin published a landmark theory explaining how these structures form as volcanic islands sink.
A ring-shaped coral reef, island, or chain of islands that surrounds a lagoon. In 1842, Charles Darwin published a landmark theory explaining how these structures form as volcanic islands sink.
BETA
schopenhauer Match extreme ocean records to discover the planet's strangest geological and biological masterpieces.
schopenhauer The underwater waterfall optical illusion off the coast of Mauritius.
Quiz
What are the tiny organisms that build the massive calcium carbonate structures of the Great Barrier Reef?
schopenhauer Boiling hydrothermal vents form towering chimneys along volcanic ridges.
Quiz
In what year were the first deep-sea hydrothermal vents discovered by scientists?
Quiz
How do ecosystems around deep-sea hydrothermal vents produce energy without sunlight?
Quiz
What geological feature inside the Great Blue Hole of Belize proves it was once a dry cave?