TED-Ed
Tierney Thys and Plankton Chronicles Project: The secret life of plankton
Tierney Thys + Plankton Chronicles Project: The secret life of plankton
Filmed:
Readability: 4.2
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 ...
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. Full bio 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. Full bio
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 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. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
(Musica)
00:30
[Stories from the Sea]
0
17000
2976
“Storie di mare”
“Racconto di un pesce: la mia vita segreta di plancton”
00:34
[Fish Tale
My Secret Life as Plankton]
My Secret Life as Plankton]
1
21198
4976
(Musica)
Come sono finito qui?
00:42
How did I get here?
2
29496
1318
00:45
Well, it's a stranger story
than you might think.
than you might think.
3
32506
3051
Be', è una storia più strana di quanto si possa pensare.
00:50
I came from a world of drifters,
4
37028
3255
Vengo da un mondo di vagabondi,
00:53
a place few humans have ever seen.
5
40307
2579
un luogo che pochi umani hanno mai visto.
Il mondo del plancton.
00:56
The world of plankton.
6
43979
1606
01:00
I came from a batch of a million eggs,
and only a few of us survived.
and only a few of us survived.
7
47491
4667
Vengo da un gruppo di un milione di uova,
e solo pochi di noi sono sopravvissuti.
01:08
When I became a larva,
I moved among other drifters.
I moved among other drifters.
8
55092
3640
Quando ero una larva,
mi spostavo insieme ad altri vagabondi.
01:12
["Plankton" comes from the Greek
"planktos" for wandering]
"planktos" for wandering]
9
59472
4653
"Plancton deriva dalla parola greca planktos che significa vagabondare”.
01:21
My fellow plankton came in all sizes,
from tiny algae and bacteria
from tiny algae and bacteria
10
68138
5191
I miei compagni nel plancton sono di tutte le dimensioni,
da alghe e batteri minuscoli
01:26
to animals longer than a blue whale.
11
73353
2490
ad animali più lunghi di una balenottera azzurra.
Ho trascorso i miei primissimi anni
01:33
I shared my nursery
with other embryos and juveniles,
with other embryos and juveniles,
12
80781
4593
insieme ad altri embrioni e a piccole creature,
01:38
from clams and crabs
to sea urchins and anemones.
to sea urchins and anemones.
13
85398
3966
dai molluschi ai granchi, dai ricci di mare agli anemoni.
(Rumori di plancton)
01:45
(High pitch sound)
14
92445
1300
01:46
We drifting animals
are called zooplankton.
are called zooplankton.
15
93769
3271
Noi che andiamo alla deriva ci chiamiamo zooplancton.
01:51
The most common animals here
are copepods and krill.
are copepods and krill.
16
98567
4478
Qui gli organismi più comuni
sono i copepodi e il krill.
01:56
(Buzzing)
17
103069
1000
Potete setacciare il mondo intero,
01:59
You could search the world over,
18
106332
1967
02:01
but you'd never find a place
more diverse than my childhood home.
more diverse than my childhood home.
19
108323
3767
ma non troverete mai un luogo più differenziato della mia casa d'infanzia.
02:06
A teaspoon of seawater
20
113905
1978
Un cucchiaino di acqua di mare
02:08
can contain more
than a million living creatures.
than a million living creatures.
21
115907
2864
può contenere più di un milione di creature viventi.
Può essere un’esistenza piuttosto dura, però.
02:14
It can be a pretty tough
existence, though.
existence, though.
22
121920
2994
02:17
Trillions are born here,
but only a few make it to adulthood.
but only a few make it to adulthood.
23
124938
4142
Qui ne nascono a trilioni,
ma solo pochi arrivano all'età adulta.
Potrebbe non essere più grande della capocchia di uno spillo,
02:27
He may be no larger than a pin head,
24
134048
2589
02:29
but this crab larva
is an arrow worm's worst nightmare.
is an arrow worm's worst nightmare.
25
136661
3856
ma questa larva di granchio è il peggior incubo dei chetognati.
02:35
(Bumping noises)
26
142229
2751
(Rumori di plancton)
02:45
(Buzzing)
27
152332
1301
02:48
Epic battles between carnivores
like these are just one way to get food.
like these are just one way to get food.
28
155831
4603
Le battaglie epiche tra carnivori come questi sono solo un modo per procurarsi il cibo.
02:54
But the real powers
of this place come from phytoplankton.
of this place come from phytoplankton.
29
161754
4260
Ma la vera forza di questo luogo viene dal fitoplancton:
vita unicellulare
03:00
Single-celled life
30
167361
1206
che trasforma la luce solare e l’anidride carbonica
03:01
that transforms sunlight
and carbon dioxide
and carbon dioxide
31
168591
2783
03:04
into edible gold.
32
171398
1462
in oro commestibile.
03:13
Phytoplankton are the base
for the largest food web in the world.
for the largest food web in the world.
33
180462
4146
Il fitoplancton rappresenta la base della più grande rete alimentare del mondo.
03:19
During the night,
34
186983
1638
Di notte,
03:21
many animals like me
would rise up from the depths
would rise up from the depths
35
188645
2592
molti animali come me emergono dalle profondità
03:24
to feed on this sun-powered feast.
36
191261
2875
per alimentarsi in questo banchetto di energia solare.
(Rumori di plancton)
03:28
(Maraca sound)
37
195056
1625
03:31
I was part of the largest daily
migration of life on Earth.
migration of life on Earth.
38
198830
3902
Facevo parte della più grande migrazione giornaliera di vita sulla Terra.
03:38
During the day,
39
205197
1563
Di giorno,
03:39
I'd return to the darkness,
where I'd join my bizarre companions.
where I'd join my bizarre companions.
40
206784
4143
ritornavo nell'oscurità, dove mi riunivo con i miei bizzarri compagni.
(Rumori di plancton)
03:45
(High pitch buzz)
41
212682
1523
03:47
(Flapping noises)
42
214229
1193
03:48
Cannibals, like this
sea butterfly mollusk,
sea butterfly mollusk,
43
215446
3114
Cannibali come questo mollusco di farfalla marina
03:51
that eats its next of kin.
44
218584
1677
che si nutre dei suoi parenti stretti.
03:57
And comb jellies,
45
224983
1638
Gli ctenofori,
03:59
that beat cilia like rainbowed eyelashes.
46
226645
3219
che sbattono queste magnifiche ciglia dai colori dell'arcobaleno.
04:08
Some of these snare
their prey with sticky tentacles,
their prey with sticky tentacles,
47
235907
2845
Alcune specie intrappolano la preda grazie ai loro tentacoli appiccicosi,
04:12
while others just take
a bite out of their cousins.
a bite out of their cousins.
48
239834
3358
mentre altre specie danno un morso ai loro cugini.
04:18
And siphonophores
49
245245
1484
I sifonofori,
04:19
that catch prey with toxic fishing lures.
50
246753
2588
che catturano le loro prede con esche tossiche.
04:28
But my favorite would have
to be the crustacean Phronima.
to be the crustacean Phronima.
51
255246
3778
Ma il mio preferito è il crostaceo Fronima;
04:33
Its monstrous looks inspired
the movie "Aliens."
the movie "Aliens."
52
260276
3292
il suo aspetto mostruoso ha ispirato il film “Alien”.
04:38
It can catch tiny bits in its bristles,
53
265215
2837
È in grado di catturare minuscoli pezzettini nelle sue setole,
04:41
but prefers larger prey like salps.
54
268076
2689
ma predilige prede più grandi come le salpe.
04:47
With two sets of eyes,
this female prowls the deeper water.
this female prowls the deeper water.
55
274553
4430
Con due paia di occhi, questa femmina va a caccia di prede nelle acque più profonde.
04:54
Prey in hand,
56
281307
1807
Afferrata la preda,
04:56
she performs one
of the strangest behaviors
of the strangest behaviors
57
283138
2658
esegue uno dei comportamenti più bizzarri di tutto il regno animale.
04:58
in the entire animal kingdom.
58
285820
1738
05:03
With body parts from her victims,
59
290908
2390
Con alcune parti del corpo delle sue vittime,
05:06
she delicately assembles
a barrel-like home
a barrel-like home
60
293322
3592
assembla con grande delicatezza una casa a forma di botte
05:09
feeding her young until they can drift off
and survive on their own.
and survive on their own.
61
296938
3713
e nutre i suoi piccoli finché non abbandonano il nido e sopravvivono da soli.
05:17
Best of all, they make the perfect
snack for a small fish like me.
snack for a small fish like me.
62
304722
5139
E ora viene il meglio, essi sono uno snack ideale per un piccolo pesce come me.
05:25
Here among the plankton,
63
312785
2037
Qui, nel mondo del plancton,
05:27
the food web is so tangled and complex,
64
314846
3575
la rete alimentare è così intricata e complessa,
05:31
even scientists don't know who eats whom.
65
318445
2984
che nemmeno gli scienziati sanno chi mangia chi.
Ma io sì.
05:36
But I do.
66
323900
1333
05:41
At least now you know a bit of my story.
67
328938
2856
Almeno adesso conoscete un po’ la mia storia.
05:45
There's so much more to me
than just a tasty meal.
than just a tasty meal.
68
332784
3133
C’è molto da dire su di me, oltre al fatto che sono un piatto saporito.
Autori: Tierney Thys e Christian Sardet
Voce narrante: Kirk Lombard
Animazione: Noe Sardet
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Tierney Thys - Marine biologistTierney 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.
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.
Plankton Chronicles Project | Speaker | TED.com