ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Tierney Thys - Marine biologist
Tierney Thys is a marine biologist and science educator. She studies the behavior of the Mola mola, or giant ocean sunfish -- and works with other scientists to make films that share the wonders they see.

Why you should listen

Marine biologist Tierney Thys has fallen head over heels for a big, goofy fish: the Mola mola, or giant ocean sunfish. In studying the mola -- where they go, what they eat, what eats them -- she's also hunting for clues to the behavior of all life in the open ocean. With their enormous, odd bodies, peaceful habits and lust for jellyfish, these giants can be key to understanding life in the open ocean. Thys and her team are tagging and tracking molas worldwide to learn about how they live, and how climate change may be affecting all ocean life.

Thys is a National Geographic Explorer with a passion for marine education. She was also past director of research at the Sea Studios Foundation, a team of scientists and filmmakers that makes media to raise awareness of environmental issues -- including the PBS series Strange Days on Planet Earth and targeted videos that influence policymakers and businesspeople. Sea Studios was also instrumental in helping eBay stop the trading of invasive species.

More profile about the speaker
Tierney Thys | Speaker | TED.com
Plankton Chronicles Project - Scientific research team
The Plankton Chronicles Project uses state-of-the-art optics to reveal the beauty and diversity of planktonic organisms. It was initiated by Christian Sardet, Noé Sardet and Sharif Mirshak.

Why you should listen

The Plankton Chronicles Project combines art and science, revealing the beauty and diversity of planktonic organisms. Plankton samples are collected and filmed at the Villefranche-sur-Mer Marine Station and on board the schooner Tara using dark field optics and macro lenses or microscopes equipped with HD SLR cameras. Christian Sardet from the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and Noé Sardet and Sharif Mirshak from Parafilms (Montreal) initiated the project in the context of the Tara Oceans expedition.

Plankton Chronicles are sponsored by the CNRS, the Pierre et Marie Curie University in Paris (UPMC) and the Groupement d'Interet Scientifique IBISA.

More profile about the speaker
Plankton Chronicles Project | Speaker | TED.com
TED-Ed

Tierney Thys and Plankton Chronicles Project: The secret life of plankton

Tierney Thys + Plankton Chronicles Project: The secret life of plankton

Filmed:
1,440,282 views

New videography techniques have opened up the oceans' microscopic ecosystem, revealing it to be both mesmerizingly beautiful and astoundingly complex. Explore this hidden world that underpins our own food chain -- in the first-ever TEDTalk given by a fish ...
- Marine biologist
Tierney Thys is a marine biologist and science educator. She studies the behavior of the Mola mola, or giant ocean sunfish -- and works with other scientists to make films that share the wonders they see. Full bio - Scientific research team
The Plankton Chronicles Project uses state-of-the-art optics to reveal the beauty and diversity of planktonic organisms. It was initiated by Christian Sardet, Noé Sardet and Sharif Mirshak. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

(Música)
00:30
[StoriesCuentos from the SeaMar]
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Historias marinas
Diario de un pez: Mi vida secreta como plancton
00:34
[FishPescado TaleCuento
My SecretSecreto Life as PlanktonPlancton]
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(Música)
¿Cómo llegué aquí?
00:42
How did I get here?
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00:45
Well, it's a strangerdesconocido storyhistoria
than you mightpodría think.
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Bien, es una historia muy extraña que les hará pensar.
00:50
I camevino from a worldmundo of driftersvagabundos,
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Vengo de un mundo en suspensión
00:53
a placelugar fewpocos humanshumanos have ever seenvisto.
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que muy pocos humanos han visto.
El mundo del plancton.
00:56
The worldmundo of planktonplancton.
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01:00
I camevino from a batchlote of a millionmillón eggshuevos,
and only a fewpocos of us survivedsobrevivió.
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Nací en un gran lote de huevos,
del que sobrevivimos unos pocos.
01:08
When I becameconvirtió a larvalarva,
I movedmovido amongentre other driftersvagabundos.
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Cuando era larva,
me movía en el mundo marino.
01:12
["PlanktonPlancton" comesproviene from the Greekgriego
"planktosPlanktos" for wanderingerrante]
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Plancton viene del griego planktós que significa "errante".
01:21
My fellowcompañero planktonplancton camevino in all sizestamaños,
from tinyminúsculo algaealgas and bacteriabacteria
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Hay plancton de todos los tamaños
desde pequeñas algas y baterias
01:26
to animalsanimales longermás than a blueazul whaleballena.
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hasta animales más grandes que la ballena azul.
Compartí mi guardería
01:33
I sharedcompartido my nurseryguardería
with other embryosembriones and juvenilesjuveniles,
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con otros embriones y jóvenes,
01:38
from clamsalmejas and crabscangrejos
to seamar urchinspilluelos and anemonesanémonas.
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desde almejas y cangrejos hasta erizos
y anémonas
(Sonido de plancton)
01:45
(HighAlto pitchtono soundsonar)
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01:46
We driftingderiva animalsanimales
are calledllamado zooplanktonzooplancton.
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Somos organismos llamados zooplancton.
01:51
The mostmás commoncomún animalsanimales here
are copepodscopépodos and krillkril.
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Los más comunes son
los copépodos y el kril.
01:56
(BuzzingZumbido)
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Podrán buscar en todo el mudo
01:59
You could searchbuscar the worldmundo over,
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1967
02:01
but you'dtu hubieras never find a placelugar
more diversediverso than my childhoodinfancia home.
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pero no encontrarán un lugar tan diverso como el de mi infancia.
02:06
A teaspooncucharilla of seawateragua de mar
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1978
Allí, una cucharadita de agua de mar
02:08
can containContiene more
than a millionmillón livingvivo creaturescriaturas.
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puede contener más de un millón de seres vivos.
Aunque es una existencia bastante difícil.
02:14
It can be a prettybonita toughdifícil
existenceexistencia, thoughaunque.
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02:17
TrillionsTrillones are bornnacido here,
but only a fewpocos make it to adulthoodedad adulta.
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Aquí nacen billones.
Pero solo unos pocos alcanzan la edad adulta.
No es más grande que la cabeza de un alfiler,
02:27
He maymayo be no largermás grande than a pinalfiler headcabeza,
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02:29
but this crabcangrejo larvalarva
is an arrowflecha worm'sde gusano worstpeor nightmarepesadilla.
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pero esta larva de cangrejo puede ser la peor pesadilla de un gusano flecha
02:35
(BumpingSi se golpea noisesruidos)
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(sonido de plancton)
02:45
(BuzzingZumbido)
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02:48
EpicÉpica battlesbatallas betweenEntre carnivorescarnívoros
like these are just one way to get foodcomida.
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Estos carnívoros dan batallas épicas en busca de comida.
02:54
But the realreal powerspotestades
of this placelugar come from phytoplanktonfitoplancton.
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Pero el verdadero poder de este lugar proviene del fitoplancton,
la vida unicelular
03:00
Single-celledUnicelulares life
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que transforma la luz solar y el dióxido de carbono
03:01
that transformstransforma sunlightluz de sol
and carboncarbón dioxidedióxido
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03:04
into ediblecomestible goldoro.
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en oro comestible.
03:13
PhytoplanktonFitoplancton are the basebase
for the largestmás grande foodcomida webweb in the worldmundo.
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El fitoplancton es la base de la red alimentaria más grande del mundo.
03:19
DuringDurante the night,
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Durante la noche,
03:21
manymuchos animalsanimales like me
would risesubir up from the depthslo más hondo
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muchos animales como yo, emergemos de las profundidades
03:24
to feedalimentar on this sun-poweredalimentado por el sol feastbanquete.
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para participar de este banquete a energía solar.
(sonido de plancton)
03:28
(MaracaMaraca soundsonar)
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03:31
I was partparte of the largestmás grande dailydiariamente
migrationmigración of life on EarthTierra.
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Fui parte de la mayor migración diaria de la vida terrestre.
03:38
DuringDurante the day,
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Durante el día,
03:39
I'd returnregreso to the darknessoscuridad,
where I'd joinunirse my bizarreextraño companionscompañeros.
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me gustaría volver a la oscuridad e ir con mis extraños compañeros.
(sonido de plancton)
03:45
(HighAlto pitchtono buzzzumbido)
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03:47
(FlappingAleteo noisesruidos)
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03:48
CannibalsCaníbales, like this
seamar butterflymariposa molluskmoluscos,
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Los caníbales, como este molusco mariposa,
03:51
that eatscome its nextsiguiente of kinparentesco.
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se alimentan de sus parientes más cercanos.
03:57
And combpeine jelliesgelatinas,
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Y las medusas peine
03:59
that beatgolpear ciliacilios like rainbowedRainbowed eyelashespestañas.
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agitan los cilios como pestañas de arco iris.
04:08
Some of these snaretrampa
theirsu preypresa with stickypegajoso tentaclestentáculos,
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Algunas atrapan a sus presas con tentáculos pegajosos,
04:12
while othersotros just take
a bitemordedura out of theirsu cousinsprimos.
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mientras que otras solo se comen a sus primos.
04:18
And siphonophoressifonóforos
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Y los sifonóforos
04:19
that catchcaptura preypresa with toxictóxico fishingpescar luresseñuelos.
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atrapan a sus presas con señuelos tóxicos.
04:28
But my favoritefavorito would have
to be the crustaceancrustáceo PhronimaPhronima.
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Pero mi favorito es el crustáceo fronema;
04:33
Its monstrousmonstruoso looksmiradas inspiredinspirado
the moviepelícula "AliensExtranjeros."
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su aspecto monstruoso inspiró la película "Alien".
04:38
It can catchcaptura tinyminúsculo bitsbits in its bristlescerdas,
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Puede atrapar pequeños trozos con sus cerdas,
04:41
but prefersprefiere largermás grande preypresa like salpssalpas.
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pero prefiere presas de mayor tamaño, como las salpas.
04:47
With two setsconjuntos of eyesojos,
this femalehembra prowlsmerodea the deeperMás adentro wateragua.
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Con dos pares de ojos, esta hembra merodea las aguas más profundas.
04:54
PreyPresa in handmano,
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Presa en mano,
04:56
she performsrealiza one
of the strangestmás extraño behaviorscomportamientos
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tiene uno de los comportamientos más extraños del reino animal.
04:58
in the entiretodo animalanimal kingdomReino.
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05:03
With bodycuerpo partspartes from her victimsvíctimas,
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Con las partes del cuerpo de sus víctimas,
05:06
she delicatelydelicadamente assemblesensambla
a barrel-likebarril-como home
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monta con delicadeza una casa con forma de barril
05:09
feedingalimentación her youngjoven untilhasta they can driftderiva off
and survivesobrevivir on theirsu ownpropio.
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alimentando a su cria hasta que, a la deriva, pueda sobrevir por su cuenta.
05:17
BestMejor of all, they make the perfectPerfecto
snackbocadillo for a smallpequeña fishpescado like me.
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A+un mejor, son un aperitivo perfecto para un pequeño pez como yo.
05:25
Here amongentre the planktonplancton,
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Aquí, entre el plancton,
05:27
the foodcomida webweb is so tangledenredado and complexcomplejo,
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la red alimentaria es tan enredada y compleja
05:31
even scientistscientíficos don't know who eatscome whomquién.
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que incluso los científicos no saben quién come a quién.
Pero yo sí.
05:36
But I do.
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05:41
At leastmenos now you know a bitpoco of my storyhistoria.
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Ahora al menos ya saben un poco de mi historia.
05:45
There's so much more to me
than just a tastysabroso mealcomida.
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Soy mucho más que una comida sabrosa.
Guion: Tierney Thys y Christian Sardet
Narración: Kirk Lombard
Animación: Noe Sardet

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ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Tierney Thys - Marine biologist
Tierney Thys is a marine biologist and science educator. She studies the behavior of the Mola mola, or giant ocean sunfish -- and works with other scientists to make films that share the wonders they see.

Why you should listen

Marine biologist Tierney Thys has fallen head over heels for a big, goofy fish: the Mola mola, or giant ocean sunfish. In studying the mola -- where they go, what they eat, what eats them -- she's also hunting for clues to the behavior of all life in the open ocean. With their enormous, odd bodies, peaceful habits and lust for jellyfish, these giants can be key to understanding life in the open ocean. Thys and her team are tagging and tracking molas worldwide to learn about how they live, and how climate change may be affecting all ocean life.

Thys is a National Geographic Explorer with a passion for marine education. She was also past director of research at the Sea Studios Foundation, a team of scientists and filmmakers that makes media to raise awareness of environmental issues -- including the PBS series Strange Days on Planet Earth and targeted videos that influence policymakers and businesspeople. Sea Studios was also instrumental in helping eBay stop the trading of invasive species.

More profile about the speaker
Tierney Thys | Speaker | TED.com
Plankton Chronicles Project - Scientific research team
The Plankton Chronicles Project uses state-of-the-art optics to reveal the beauty and diversity of planktonic organisms. It was initiated by Christian Sardet, Noé Sardet and Sharif Mirshak.

Why you should listen

The Plankton Chronicles Project combines art and science, revealing the beauty and diversity of planktonic organisms. Plankton samples are collected and filmed at the Villefranche-sur-Mer Marine Station and on board the schooner Tara using dark field optics and macro lenses or microscopes equipped with HD SLR cameras. Christian Sardet from the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and Noé Sardet and Sharif Mirshak from Parafilms (Montreal) initiated the project in the context of the Tara Oceans expedition.

Plankton Chronicles are sponsored by the CNRS, the Pierre et Marie Curie University in Paris (UPMC) and the Groupement d'Interet Scientifique IBISA.

More profile about the speaker
Plankton Chronicles Project | Speaker | TED.com