TED2018
Heidi M. Sosik: The discoveries awaiting us in the ocean's twilight zone
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What will we find in the twilight zone: the vast, mysterious, virtually unexplored realm hundreds of meters below the ocean's surface? Heidi M. Sosik of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution wants to find out. In this wonder-filled talk, she shares her plan to investigate these uncharted waters, which may hold a million new species and 90 percent of the world's fish biomass, using submersible technology. What we discover there won't just astound us, Sosik says -- it will help us be better stewards of the world's oceans. (This ambitious idea is part of The Audacious Project, TED's initiative to inspire and fund global change.)
Heidi M. Sosik - Ocean scientist, inventor, explorer
Heidi M. Sosik is an ocean scientist who uses tools like lasers and robotic cameras to figure out how tiny organisms in the ocean affect our whole planet. Full bio
Heidi M. Sosik is an ocean scientist who uses tools like lasers and robotic cameras to figure out how tiny organisms in the ocean affect our whole planet. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
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I bet all of you are familiar
with this view of the ocean,
with this view of the ocean,
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but the thing is,
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most of the ocean looks nothing like this.
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Below the sunlit surface waters,
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there's an otherworldly realm
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known as the twilight zone.
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At 200 to 1,000 meters below the surface,
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sunlight is barely a glimmer.
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Tiny particles swirl down
through the darkness
through the darkness
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while flashes of bioluminescence
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give us a clue that
these waters teem with life:
these waters teem with life:
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microbes, plankton, fish.
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Everything that lives here
has amazing adaptations
has amazing adaptations
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for the challenges
of such an extreme environment.
of such an extreme environment.
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These animals help support
top predators such as whales, tuna,
top predators such as whales, tuna,
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swordfish and sharks.
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There could be 10 times
more fish biomass here
more fish biomass here
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than previously thought.
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In fact, maybe more
than all the rest of the ocean combined.
than all the rest of the ocean combined.
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There are countless
undiscovered species in deep waters,
undiscovered species in deep waters,
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and life in the twilight zone
is intertwined with earth's climate.
is intertwined with earth's climate.
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Yet the twilight zone
is virtually unexplored.
is virtually unexplored.
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There are so many things
we still don't know about it.
we still don't know about it.
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I think we can change that.
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I was drawn to oceanography
by just this kind of challenge.
by just this kind of challenge.
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To me it represents
the perfect intersection
the perfect intersection
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of science, technology and the unknown,
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the spark for so many breakthrough
discoveries about life on our planet.
discoveries about life on our planet.
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As a college student,
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I went on an expedition
across the Atlantic
across the Atlantic
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with a team of scientists
using a high-powered laser
using a high-powered laser
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to measure microscopic algae.
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The wild thing that happened on that trip
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is that we discovered what everyone
who looked before had completely missed:
who looked before had completely missed:
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photosynthetic cells
smaller than anyone thought possible.
smaller than anyone thought possible.
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We now know those tiny cells
are the most abundant
are the most abundant
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photosynthetic organisms on earth.
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This amazing discovery happened
because we used new technology
because we used new technology
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to see life in the ocean in a new way.
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I am convinced that the discoveries
awaiting us in the twilight zone
awaiting us in the twilight zone
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will be just as breathtaking.
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We know so little about the twilight zone
because it's difficult to study.
because it's difficult to study.
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It's exceedingly large,
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spanning from the Arctic
to the Southern Ocean
to the Southern Ocean
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and around the globe.
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It's different from place to place.
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It changes quickly
as the water and animals move.
as the water and animals move.
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And it's deep and dark and cold,
and the pressures there are enormous.
and the pressures there are enormous.
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What we do know is fascinating.
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You may be imagining
huge monsters lurking in the deep sea,
huge monsters lurking in the deep sea,
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but most of the animals are very small,
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like this lantern fish.
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And this fierce-looking fish
is called a bristlemouth.
is called a bristlemouth.
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Believe it or not, these are the most
abundant vertebrates on earth
abundant vertebrates on earth
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and many are so small
that a dozen could fit in this one tube.
that a dozen could fit in this one tube.
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It gets even more interesting,
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because small size does not stop them
from being powerful through sheer number.
from being powerful through sheer number.
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Deep, penetrating sonar shows us
that the animals form dense layers.
that the animals form dense layers.
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You can see what I mean
by the red and yellow colors
by the red and yellow colors
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around 400 meters in these data.
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So much sound bounces off this layer,
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it's been mistaken for the ocean bottom.
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But if we look, it can't be,
because the layer is deep during the day,
because the layer is deep during the day,
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it rises up at night
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and the pattern repeats day after day.
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This is actually the largest
animal migration on earth.
animal migration on earth.
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It happens around the globe every day,
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sweeping through the world's oceans
in a massive living wave
in a massive living wave
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as twilight zone inhabitants
travel hundreds of meters
travel hundreds of meters
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to surface waters to feed at night
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and return to the relative safety
of deeper, darker waters during the day.
of deeper, darker waters during the day.
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These animals and their movements
help connect the surface and deep ocean
help connect the surface and deep ocean
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in important ways.
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The animals feed near the surface,
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they bring carbon in their food
into the deep waters,
into the deep waters,
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where some of that carbon can stay behind
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and remain isolated from the atmosphere
for hundreds or even thousands of years.
for hundreds or even thousands of years.
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In this way, the migration
may help keep carbon dioxide
may help keep carbon dioxide
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out of our atmosphere
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and limit the effects
of global warming on our climate.
of global warming on our climate.
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But we still have many questions.
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We don't know which species are migrating,
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what they're finding to eat,
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who is trying to eat them
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or how much carbon
they are able to transport.
they are able to transport.
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So I'm a scientist
who studies life in the ocean.
who studies life in the ocean.
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For me, curiosity about these things
is a powerful driver,
is a powerful driver,
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but there's more to the motivation here.
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We need to answer these questions
and answer them quickly,
and answer them quickly,
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because the twilight zone is under threat.
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Factory ships in the open ocean
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have been vacuuming up
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hundreds of thousands of tons of small,
shrimp-like animals called krill.
shrimp-like animals called krill.
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The animals are ground into fish meal
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to support increasing demands
for aquaculture
for aquaculture
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and for nutraceuticals such as krill oil.
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Industry is on the brink
of deepening fisheries such as these
of deepening fisheries such as these
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into the mid-water
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in what could start
a kind of twilight zone gold rush
a kind of twilight zone gold rush
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operating outside the reach
of national fishing regulations.
of national fishing regulations.
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This could have irreversible
global-scale impacts
global-scale impacts
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on marine life and food webs.
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We need to get out
ahead of fishing impacts
ahead of fishing impacts
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and work to understand
this critical part of the ocean.
this critical part of the ocean.
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At Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution,
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I'm really fortunate to be surrounded
by colleagues who share this passion.
by colleagues who share this passion.
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Together, we are ready
to launch a large-scale exploration
to launch a large-scale exploration
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of the twilight zone.
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We have a plan to begin right away
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with expeditions in the North Atlantic,
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where we'll tackle the big challenges
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of observing and studying
the twilight zone's remarkable diversity.
the twilight zone's remarkable diversity.
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This kind of multiscale,
multidimensional exploration
multidimensional exploration
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means we need to integrate
new technologies.
new technologies.
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Let me show you a recent example
that has changed our thinking.
that has changed our thinking.
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Satellite tracking devices
on animals such as sharks
on animals such as sharks
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are now showing us that many top predators
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regularly dive deep
into the twilight zone to feed.
into the twilight zone to feed.
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And when we map their swimming patterns
and compare them to satellite data,
and compare them to satellite data,
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we find that their feeding hot spots
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are linked to ocean currents
and other features.
and other features.
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We used to think these animals
found all of their food in surface waters.
found all of their food in surface waters.
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We now believe they depend
on the twilight zone.
on the twilight zone.
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But we still need to figure out
how they find the best areas to feed,
how they find the best areas to feed,
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what they're eating there
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and how much their diets depend
on twilight zone species.
on twilight zone species.
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We will also need new technologies
to explore the links with climate.
to explore the links with climate.
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Remember these particles?
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Some of them are produced
by gelatinous animals called salps.
by gelatinous animals called salps.
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Salps are like superefficient
vacuum cleaners,
vacuum cleaners,
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slurping up plankton and producing
fast-sinking pellets of poop --
fast-sinking pellets of poop --
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try saying that 10 times fast --
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pellets of poop that carry carbon
deep into the ocean.
deep into the ocean.
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We sometimes find salps
in enormous swarms.
in enormous swarms.
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We need to know where
and when and why and whether
and when and why and whether
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this kind of carbon sink
has a big impact on earth's climate.
has a big impact on earth's climate.
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To meet these challenges, we will need
to push the limits of technology.
to push the limits of technology.
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We will deploy cameras
and samplers on smart robots
and samplers on smart robots
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to patrol the depths and help us track
the secret lives of animals like salps.
the secret lives of animals like salps.
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We will use advanced sonar
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to figure out how many fish
and other animals are down there.
and other animals are down there.
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We will sequence DNA from the environment
in a kind of forensic analysis
in a kind of forensic analysis
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to figure out which species are there
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and what they are eating.
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With so much that's still
unknown about the twilight zone,
unknown about the twilight zone,
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there's an almost unlimited
opportunity for new discovery.
opportunity for new discovery.
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Just look at these beautiful,
fascinating creatures.
fascinating creatures.
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We barely know them.
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And imagine how many more
are just down there waiting
are just down there waiting
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for our new technologies to see them.
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The excitement level about this
could not be higher on our team
could not be higher on our team
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of ocean scientists,
engineers and communicators.
engineers and communicators.
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There is also a deep sense of urgency.
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We can't turn back the clock
on decades of overfishing
on decades of overfishing
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in countless regions of the ocean
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that once seemed inexhaustible.
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How amazing would it be
to take a different path this time?
to take a different path this time?
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The twilight zone
is truly a global commons.
is truly a global commons.
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We need to first know and understand it
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before we can be responsible stewards
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and hope to fish it sustainably.
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This is not just a journey for scientists,
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it is for all of us,
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because the decisions we collectively make
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over the next decade
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will affect what the ocean looks like
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for centuries to come.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Heidi M. Sosik - Ocean scientist, inventor, explorerHeidi M. Sosik is an ocean scientist who uses tools like lasers and robotic cameras to figure out how tiny organisms in the ocean affect our whole planet.
Why you should listen
Heidi M. Sosik is a scientist, inventor and explorer at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, where she holds the Stanley W. Watson Chair for Excellence in Oceanography. Sosik leads a multidisciplinary team conducting long-term research on marine ecosystems and how they are changing in response to intersecting pressures from human activity, environmental variability and climate change.
During undergraduate engineering studies at MIT, Sosik became fascinated by the diversity of microscopic life in the ocean. This led her toward a doctorate in oceanography and a research career focused on discovery. Today she develops and deploys new technologies to see life in the ocean in new ways. Sosik is co-inventor of a robotic underwater microscope used by researchers around the world to study minuscule forms of life in the ocean and by coastal managers to ensure that seafood is safe to eat. Sosik has been recognized for her impact and leadership through honors including a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers and selection as a Fellow of The Oceanography Society.
Sosik's bold plan to explore the ocean's twilight zone is one of the first ideas of The Audacious Project, TED's initiative to inspire global change.
Heidi M. Sosik | Speaker | TED.com