sign in sign up
<<
Home , Doug Allan, Fracture zone, Hexactinellid, Porbeagle, Slimehead

High Gems: Hidden Treasures of Our Blue Earth Acknowledgements We are deeply grateful to the scientists and members of non-governmental organizations who contributed their ideas and improvements to this effort. We also thank the generous funders of this effort, including the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund, the JM Kaplan Fund, and the Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation. Finally, with profound appreciation, we thank the Chantecaille family for their inspiration for this project and for all of their support in the production The largest, least-protected places on our blue planet are found in the high seas — of this booklet. the open and deep that lie seaward of individual nations’ jurisdictions.

Extending from the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica to most of the Indian, Pacifi c, Atlantic and Arctic and the Mediterranean , these areas cover 45% 2 of the Earth’s surface. Hidden beneath the surface of the high seas are extraordinary 'AKKEL2IDGE places that are in urgent need of our protection. Belonging to no single nation, they have been, for too long, neglected by all.

The high seas are home to great whales, sea turtles, seabirds, and #HARLIE 'IBBS &RACTURE:ONE that traverse entire ocean basins in search of food. They house deep-dwelling fi shes

%MPEROR3EAMOUNT 5 4 and that live long, slow-motion lives in eternal darkness.

#HAIN 3OUTHEAST3HOAL High seas ecosystems include places where great water masses meet and OFTHE'RAND"ANKS congregate, as well as vast muddy plains, coral-capped , and vents 3 3ARGASSO 3EA that shoot hot water into the frigid depths. These places give rise to many rich and precious life forms found nowhere else on the planet. 1 %AST0ACIFIC2ISE

9 High seas biodiversity is threatened by fi shing, climate change and other human-caused impacts. These losses are also our losses, as they threaten the ability of the oceans to sustain and support human societies. The global community recently decided that key high seas ecosystems should be protected, and agreed on a common set of criteria to start selecting these areas. To help them, we asked scientists from around the world to name examples of high seas sites that refl ect these criteria as areas of concentrated abundance or diversity, rarity, naturalness, or vulnerability; or which function as key habitats, such as feeding and breeding grounds for long- distance migrants. The ten sites described herein illustrate just a few of the special places scientists suggested and that merit further conservation consideration. Emperor Chain Gakkel Ridge

In the frigid darkness of the deep North The most mysterious mountain ranges on Earth

Pacifi c Ocean between the Hawaiian are not found on land, but far beneath 'AKKEL2IDGE and Aleutian Islands is a chain of silent volcanoes the sea ice of the . Scientists %MPEROR3EAMOUNT that arose millions of years ago from molten know more about the waterless landscape

#HAI rock 80 kilometers below the Earth’s surface. of the “Ocean of Storms” on the Moon N Until the 1970s, they harbored large numbers than the remote and inaccessible undersea of deep-water corals and fi shes. They are landscape of the central Arctic Ocean. the Emperor Seamounts. The Gakkel Ridge may be one of the deepest and slowest- forming of these mid-ocean ridges, spreading less than 1 Many seamounts were once underwater volcanoes, one centimeter per year. In 1999, a scientifi c expedition Top: Unknown to science until 1986, which formed many years ago from a “hotspot” of rising yielded evidence that this 1,800 km mountain chain EYELESS magma. These volcanoes were produced as tectonic (Rimicaris exoculata) between and Siberia has very active volcanoes are dominant Mid-Atlantic Ridge hydrothermal plates moved over the hotspot. Some of these eventually and hydrothermal vents. It is thought that the depths vent species. Although there are no published pierced the surface, cooled and were colonized by plants, of the central Arctic Ocean may have been isolated accounts of species from the Gakkel Ridge, spiders and other land life. Then rain, wind and waves from the Atlantic and Pacifi c Oceans for many millions 2scientifi c expeditions will unveil the secrets of eroded some of the islands and they submerged of years. As a result, Gakkel Ridge this site, which may include these eyeless shrimp again into the bosom of the sea. Again and again, animals could be very different from those found or species currently unknown to humankind. volcanoes were born and moved northwest until they elsewhere on Earth. LAYSAN ALBATROSSES (Phoebastria formed a very long chain. The ones still above water Bottom: The POLAR BEAR (Ursus maritimus) immutabilis) breed in the northwestern are the Hawaiian Islands. The oldest, lowest, northwestern- There is no credible doubt that global warming is rapidly is the for which the Arctic Ocean Hawaiian Islands, then fan out over the north most Hawaiian islands were protected in 2006 by melting the Arctic’s permanent sea ice. This will open was named ( is Greek for bear). The world’s Pacifi c to fi nd and other food animals. the USA as Papahanaumokuakea Marine National arctos vast areas of the Arctic seafl oor—for the fi rst time largest land predator, the polar bear hunts seals Many die from ingesting fl oating six-pack rings, Monument, then the world’s largest no-take marine in human history—to shipping, oil drilling and bottom from the Arctic’s sea ice, which is rapidly cigarette lighters, toothbrushes and other reserve. However, the older submerged seamounts , creating new threats that may adversely impact disappearing. It is the fi rst animal listed discarded plastic debris. further northwest—the Emperors—are on the high seas, these as-yet untouched ecosystems. by the USA as threatened due to global warming. and remain unprotected.

Albatrosses, whales and tunas visit the nutrient-rich waters above the Emperor Seamounts to feed before continuing their ocean-spanning migrations. Kilometers below them, corals and deep-sea fi shes dwelt in splendid isolation until they were discovered and plundered in the 1960s and 1970s. Large offshore trawlers invaded these undersea paradises, dragging away their deep-sea corals and fi shes, including alfonsinos and pelagic armorheads. Even four decades later there is little indication of coral recovery.

Yet, harbored within the complex terrain of these seamounts are small nooks, crannies and overhangs that were too diffi cult to trawl. These areas have served as a refuge for the deep-sea life that once blanketed the Emperor volcanoes and may hold the seeds of promise for their recovery, if properly protected.

GOLD CORALS (Gerardia spp.) and some other deep-sea corals are the oldest known animals of all. Some colonies are as old as 2,700 years, which means they fi rst formed around the time poets were putting the Iliad, the Odyssey and the Epic of Gilgamesh into written form. Southeast Shoal of the Grand Banks

Far from land, in the middle of the North Atlantic, Jutting into the North is an area of the ocean famed for strange are the Grand Banks, a shallow, submerged occurrences, dead calms, and disappearing extension of with a long history planes and ships. This area, the of fi shing in a place where mammoths once 3ARGASSO Triangle, lies within a far more unusual place, 3EA walked. Located on the southern portion 3OUTHEAST3HOAL the Sargasso Sea, which is the world’s only OFTHE'RAND"ANKS of the Banks is a 10,300 square kilometer known shoreless sea. sandy plateau, called the Tail or Southeast Shoal. This site, rising to within 40 to 60 meters The Sargasso Sea is actually a gyre, a colossal subtropical mass of water that slowly turns clockwise. It is named 4 of the surface, is one of the major areas where for brown algae called Sargassum, which, uniquely the cold, southward-fl owing Labrador among seaweeds, can grow as mats and island-like fl oating clumps. These provide shelter, nurseries, and the warmer, northward-fl owing North spawning areas, and feeding grounds for a myriad Atlantic Current meet. of species, some of them transoceanic travelers (such 3 as European and American eels) and others found The confl uence of these currents along the shallow among Sargassum and nowhere else. plateau results in an abundance of nutrients that fuel phenomenal populations of a small fi sh called capelin. The small and fi shes living in the seaweed Their abundance provided a world-class feeding ground have shapes and color patterns that closely resemble for Atlantic cod, Atlantic halibut, northern gannets, Sargassum. This camoufl age is essential for the survival and fi n whales. of snails, , crabs, pipefi shes and anglerfi shes trying to avoid hungry predators. Sharp-eyed migratory So abundant were the cod on the Grand Banks predators including dolphinfi sh, white marlin and tunas that explorers prior to Columbus voyaged from Portugal are only too willing to make hors d’oeuvres of them. and to fi sh them. Cod populations could have been sustained forever had they been managed wisely. Unfortunately, the overfi shing of tunas and the removal Instead, intensive overfi shing in the area has severely of Sargassum for fertilizer and livestock feed threaten depleted this species and damaged their critical habitat. this ecosystem. The USA recognizes Sargassum as “essential fi sh habitat,” and limits its exploitation, In places such as the Southeast Shoal, where fi shing but the high seas offer no meaningful protection. remains a threat and fi sh populations are depleted, In addition, ineffectual regulation of fi sheries no-fi shing areas are an important means for recovery. is not only causing a serious decline in tuna populations, Under international law, most but not all of the Grand but also of marlin and sharks that are inadvertently Banks is within ’s Exclusive Economic Zone. caught in nets, and which jeopardizes the functioning Canada can lead the recovery process in the high seas of the entire ecosystem. by working with the international community to establish BUBBLEGUM CORAL (Paragorgia a network of no-take reserves, recognizing the inter- Newly-hatched LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLES arborea) is a large branching connected nature of the species and ecosystems scurry to leave nesting (Caretta caretta) coral that, like a tree in a forest, of the Grand Banks within and beyond national jurisdiction. beaches and cross hundreds of kilometers SARGASSUM ANGLERFISH creates habitat used by many of open ocean to reach the Sargasso Sea, is a voracious predator (Histrio histrio) animal species. Young Atlantic cod where they can dine comfortably while fi nding in the three-dimensional maze of . Sargassum are better able to escape from refuge within the . Fortunately, the largest of these anglerfi sh Sargassum predators in complex seafl oor reach only 20 cm! ecosystems. ATLANTIC COD (Gadus morhua) formed some of the largest fi sh schools in the world before industrial fi sheries brought about their collapse. The demise of this once-abundant species is one of the greatest disasters in the history of fi shing. Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone Saya de Malha Banks

Places in the sea with the most biological activity Rising from the deep waters of the tropical are often ones where the seafl oor is most western is the world’s complex and where different water masses least-explored shallow marine ecosystem.

#HARLIE 'IBBS come together. In the high seas of the North Encompassing more than 40,000 square &RACTURE:ONE Atlantic Ocean, partway between Iceland kilometers, the northern and southern portions

and the , the Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone of the Saya de Malha Banks are undersea oases 3AYADE-ALHA"ANKS is such a place. In it, a colossal, cold mass capped by the world’s largest seagrass of subpolar water frequently collides with community. They were fi rst discovered more than an even larger warm mass of subtropical water 500 years ago by Portuguese sailors, 6 over an arrow-straight seafl oor feature called who described them as green, billowing carpets

GLASS ( spp.) a fracture zone. suspended in the blue ocean. are bizarre animals whose GREEN SEA TURTLES (Chelonia are made predominately5 of glass-like Fracture zones are linear seafl oor features, often caused Research expeditions in the late 1990s revealed seagrass mydas) are long-distance commuters. silicates. Also known as hexactinellid by the geological process called faulting which creates beds interspersed with a dazzling diversity of coral reefs Adults feed on the Banks’ seagrasses sponges, they are abundant on many not only the deep fracture trench found at this site and slow-growing encrusting red coralline algae. for years then migrate up to thousands deep-sea features where hard substrata but also the high mountainous ridges and isolated These isolated coral communities may serve as crucial of kilometers to sandy beaches, are available. A recent expedition seamounts of the surrounding area. These zones create stepping stones for coral dispersal throughout where the females dig their nests. to the Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone discovered opportunities for high biological diversity by changing the Indian Ocean. These shallows, which reach within Protecting this globally endangered several new species of glass the local patterns of currents and by providing rocky 10 meters of the sea surface, host parrotfi shes, surgeon- species requires international in a single cruise, demonstrating how little substrata that serve as habitat for deep-sea corals fi shes, rabbitfi shes and green sea turtles. The nutrient-rich cooperation in protecting both we know about the fauna of this region. and sponges. In the oceanographically-complex waters deep waters around these plateaus support a huge their feeding and breeding habitats. far above the Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone, deep-sea diversity of marine mammals, such as spotted dolphins sharks, great whales, dolphins, and seabirds such as and sperm, blue, and pilot whales. shearwaters converge, taking advantage of the phenomenal abundance of , , , and octopuses As in many other communities around the world, that fl ourish in these high-nutrient waters. corals at the Saya de Malha Banks were heavily damaged in the devastating 1998 mass coral-bleaching event. The diversity of the Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone Since then, Saya de Malha corals have shown considerable is not just limited to the fracture zone area itself. recovery and the seagrass beds remain healthy. In surrounding waters, seamounts rise from the seafl oor, The best way to improve the resilience of these corals providing homes for invertebrate animals and migrating to future bleaching events is to safeguard the ecological The SPERM WHALE (Physeter Deep-sea fi shes live life in the slow lane, fi shes alike. To protect this vulnerable site from a range integrity of this phenomenal site. catodon) is the largest of all toothed but LEAFSCALE GULPER SHARKS of human activities, the international regional seas whales, diving as deep as 2,200 (Centrophorus squamosus) are especially management body for the North East Atlantic, meters to feed on squids and fi shes. slow. Identifi ed as a declining species the OSPAR Commission, is currently making this entire Because they mature slowly of concern in this area, leafscale gulper area part of its network of marine protected areas, and reproduce infrequently, they sharks are slow to reach reproductive age which would establish an important model for other are considered a . and have very few young, making them high seas regions. highly vulnerable to anything that reduces their populations. Ross Sea

First discovered by the British explorer James Clark Ross in 1841, the triangle-shaped Ross Sea between West and East Antarctica is partly covered by the thick, permanent Ross Ice Shelf, which is roughly the size of France. The rest is covered with much thinner sea ice that forms when freezes during the southern 2OSS 7 3EA autumn and winter. During the spring and summer, when the sun climbs above the horizon, winds push the melting sea ice offshore. As light fl oods the waters of the Ross Sea, phytoplankton and shrimp-like Antarctic krill become phenomenally abundant. These dense clouds of marine life are feasted upon by squids, Antarctic silverfi shes, emperor penguins, Weddell seals and blue whales. Some of these, in turn, are hunted by leopard seals, sperm whales and killer whales. Few places in the world, if any, support greater numbers of large animals.

The Ross Sea is one of the world’s most ecologically intact, least-polluted nearshore ecosystems and is a global treasure, a Serengeti of the Southern Ocean. Moreover, whereas most high seas areas start at 200 nautical miles from land, the Ross Sea and adjacent coastal seas are exceptional because international law treats Antarctica’s waters as high seas.

The ecological integrity of the Ross Sea may be at stake with the expansion of commercial fi sheries for Antarctic toothfi sh. This is happening in a time of growing risk from global warming, which could dislodge the vast Ross Ice Shelf and reduce essential sea ice cover.

KRILL (Euphausia spp.) are fi nger-sized that feed on tiny phytoplankton either growing The largest animal in the Earth’s history, BLUE WHALES under sea ice or blooming in the . (Balaenoptera musculus) grow as long as 33 meters They are probably the most abundant animals and can weigh in excess of 181 metric tons. Industrial of their size on our planet and are the foundation whaling in the 20th Century brought them to the verge of the Antarctic food web. of extinction. They have been very slow to recover. Pelagos Sanctuary East Pacifi c Rise for Mediterranean Marine Mammals Hydrothermal Vents

The northwestern shores of the Mediterranean The world’s most unusual ecosystems— Sea are home to the Riviera regions of France, hydrothermal vents—were discovered only

0ELAGOS Monaco, and , a popular tourist destination in 1977 in the black depths not far from 3ANCTUARY %A boasting a mild climate, scenic coastline, the Galapagos Islands. By 1980, scientists ST0

ACIFIC2ISE and posh resorts. Further offshore, and much had found more of these astounding sites, 9 less famous, are waters that hold a similar the equivalent of underwater geysers, attraction for the marine mammals of further north off the coast of Costa Rica, the Mediterranean. At this site, the strong in the East Pacifi c Rise. northwesterly Mistral winds combine with The HYDROTHERMAL VENT Before the discovery of hydrothermal vents, scientists TUBEWORM narrowing currents to help create highly thought that all food webs depended on light-driven () is a large vestimentiferan worm that photosynthesis. Yet at seafl oor spreading centers, 8 builds tubes of up to 2 meters long productive waters that attract sharks, other fi shes where the Earth’s tectonic plates pull apart, there exist and whose discovery at East Pacifi c and a diversity of marine mammals. entire communities that thrive in conditions lethal hydrothermal vents astounded to most life. In these areas, superheated waters rich The Pelagos Sanctuary illustrates the challenges the world’s scientists. , which in sulfi des and heavy metals spew out from below Riftia grow amongst active vents, have no gut, and potential benefi ts of protecting ocean the Earth’s crust. Appearing like billowing clouds but live off chemosynthetic of black or white smoke, this incredibly hot water mixes areas, especially on the high seas. that fi ll most of the body of the worm. with frigid bottom waters that are under high due to their great depth (more than 2 kilometers below Recognized for its abundance of marine mammals the ocean surface). Under these conditions the metals in 1899 by Prince Albert I of Monaco, it was precipitate, forming large chimneys that support The ATLANTIC BLUEFIN TUNA a non-governmental organization in Italy that suggested a remarkable variety of invertebrate animals. These species, is one of protection for marine mammals in this area in 1990. (Thunnus thynnus) in turn, depend on bacteria that use the sulfi des the largest of all bony , The Pelagos Sanctuary now comprises both territorial in the water to produce usable food analogous to the way with some adults reaching over and high seas waters, the latter making it the world’s plants use sunlight. 3 meters long. This highly migratory fi rst high seas real estate to be protected by an agreement species is known to traverse among neighboring nations. Once its management Harboring more than 150 different types of animals, the oceans with great speed provisions are in place and effectively enforced, this hydrothermal vent fi eld is one of the most studied and effi ciency to feed and breed. the Pelagos Sanctuary will provide refuge for fi n, sperm, ones in the world. Scientists believe this area Severely overfi shed for decades, and long-finned pilot whales and Risso’s, striped of the East Pacifi c Rise may be a source of larvae, spreading the Atlantic bluefi n may be destined and short-beaked common dolphins that visit its waters. life to vent communities throughout the Pacifi c Ocean. for extinction if we don’t act now to protect it. Other species desperately needing protection in Vent food webs are independent of the shallows, the Mediterranean, such as bluefi n tunas, swordfi sh so impacts at the sea surface have little effect on them. and many types of sharks that reside in or visit However, vent communities are susceptible to activities these waters, are at historically low levels and remain that could occur on the seafl oor bed, such as mining unprotected. Progress made to date within the Pelagos for rare metals. The unusual life found along the East Sanctuary provides hope that these species can also Pacifi c Rise and at other hydrothermal vent sites receive the protection they deserve. should be protected against mining and other potentially harmful activities.

Equipped with specialized vision for sensing dim light and with SHORT-BEAKED COMMON DOLPHINS an unusual ability to tolerate (Delphinus delphis) were so well-known extremes, the VENT CRAB that their images frequently appeared (Bythograea thermydron) is a top on Minoan frescos and pottery dating back predator at the East Pacifi c Rise 3,500 years. Now the Mediterranean hydrothermal vents. This bizarre, subpopulation of this dolphin is classifi ed ghostly white crab feeds on tubeworms, as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. mussels and clams at the vents. Rise escapethisfatehingesonitsadequate protection. species. Whetherseamountfi to depletethepopulationofthisespeciallyvulnerable aggregations ofbreeding orangeroughy continue large offshore fi in manyplacesthishasbecomeafatalattraction: to seamountsfeedorbreed. Unfortunately, seamounts. Fishessuchasorangeroughy are attracted Much ofthisRiseisaplateaustuddedwithvolcanic possibly occurringnowhere else. and octopuses,manyofthem of speciessponges,crabs,seaurchins, seastars, hotspot. Recentexpeditionshavefoundhundreds of theLord HoweRise,whichisahighseasbiodiversity and farless-explored, liesalargesubmergedportion 100 speciesfoundnowhere elseonEarth.Furtherwest, and issurrounded byshallowwaterswithmore than a terrestrial conservationhotspot,aWorld HeritageSite the seasurfacetoformLord HoweIsland,whichis From thedepthsofthissite,amountainrisesabove known astheLord HoweRise. lies a1.5millionsquare kilometersection sectionofZealandia evolved. Inthenorthern into thePacifi 800 kilometerseastofAustralia,itsank yet muchlessfamous.Locatedapproximately continent ofZealandiaintheSouthPacifi European legends,butironically, thesunken in theNorthAtlanticissubjectoffamous The mythicalsunkencontinentofAtlantis Lord HoweRise shingtrawlersdraggingnetsthrough cOceanlongbefore humans and shapetoDumbo’s ears. that areremarkablysimilar insize the speciesarepinkandhave fins beloved characters. Someof of one Walt Disney’s most bottom-dwellers reminiscent teuthis DUMBO OCTOPUSES ( spp.) aredeep-sea that could beolder than theirgrandparents. who may notrealize theyareeating animals fishermen areexploiting themtofeedpeople and canlivefor morethanacentury, are exceptionally slowinmaturing known asa “.” Although they is thefishery tradenameforafi sh otherwise shesontheLord Howe new toscienceandquite Grimpo- ( atlanticus) (Hoplostethus c isreal,

1

0

(OWE2ISE

,O RD

© 2008 CHANTECAILLE BEAUTÉ ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 3ANCTUARY 0ELAGOS 8 Research InstituteUSA. National Oceanicand Atmospheric Administration/Monterey Bay Aquarium cod (inset), FlorianGraner; bubblegum coralwithblackbackground(inset), bubblegum coralclose-up(inset), andOceansCanada; Atlantic Southeast Shoal: Sargassum anglerfish(inset), DavidShale, www.deepseas.co.uk. www.seapics.com; loggerheadseaturtle(inset), DougPerrine, www.naturepl.com; www.kipevansphotography.com; dolphinfish(inset), DonDeMaria, Institute USA. www.mangelsen.com; eyelessshrimp(inset), Woods HoleOceanographic Woods HoleOceanographic InstituteUSA; polarbear(inset), Thomas P. Mangelsen, Administration USA. www.kevinschafer.com; goldcoraltree(inset), NationalOceanicand Atmospheric www.markconlin.com; Laysanalbatross(inset), Kevin Schafer, Emperor SeamountChain: Front cover: to thiseffortandwhobringlifetheseremotebeautifuloceanplaces. We thankallofthe photographerswhocontributedtheiroutstandingimages Photo Credits in thehealthofocean andofourplanet. Sponsored andcreated byChantecailleBeauté, a family-ownedbeautycompanydeeplyinvested status ofanycountry, territoryorarea, orconcerningthedelimitationofitsfrontiers orboundaries. imply theexpression ofanopinionwhatsoeveranyaffi liatedorganization concerningthelegal The material andgeographicdescriptionsofthisdocumentareforillustrativepurposesonly anddonot This brochure doesnotnecessarilyrepresenttheviewsofIUCN, WCPA, oranyotheraffi gorgonian coral(inset), DavidShale, www.deepseas.co.uk. www.deepseas.co.uk; octopus(inset), JeffRotman, www.jeffrotman.com; www.oceanlab.abdn.ac.uk; seapenandbrittlestar(inset), DavidShale, leafscale gulpershark(inset), OceanLabUniversityof Aberdeen UK, (background), JohnReed, HarborBranchOceanographicInstituteUSA; bigeyejackschool(background), JürgenFreund, www.naturepl.com; Sargasso Sea: fi n whale(background), HiroyaMinakuchi, www.seapics.com; Gakkel Ridge: Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone: yellowfi ntuna(background), MarkConlin, Sargassum(background), KipEvans, Arctic ice(background), ChrisLinder, 3AYADE-ALHA"ANKS 6 glasssponge liated organization. Zoarcid ventfish(inset), white ventcrab(inset), NationalOceanicand Atmospheric Administration; (background), P. Rona, NationalOceanicand Atmospheric Administration USA; Institute of Water & Atmospheric ResearchNZ. Research InstituteUSA; orangeroughy(inset), MalcolmClark, National www.auscape.com.au; dumbooctopus(inset), MontereyBay Aquarium Lord HoweRise: vent tubeworms(inset), Woods HoleOceanographicInstitute USA. Kevin Deacon, www.auscape.com.au. short-beaked commondolphin(inset), Jan-Michael Breider; devilrays(inset), www.jeffrotman.com; Todd Pusser, www.naturepl.com; bluefintuna(inset), JeffRotman, for Mediterranean MarineMammals: blue whale(inset), emperor penguins(inset), SandraCritelli; leopardseals(inset), JerzyStrzelecki; Antarctic krill(inset), JoachimPlotz, Alfred-Wegener InstituteGermany; Ross Sea: Geological SurveyUSA; spermwhale(inset), BrandonCole, www.brandoncole.com. www.globalcoral.org; greenseaturtle(inset), CarolineRogers, UnitedStates Saya deMalhaBanks: RossSeaiceshelf(background), Doug Allan, www.naturepl.com; Ball’s pyramid(background), Jean-Paul Ferrero, Mike Johnson, www.earthwindow.com. porbeagle (inset), Doug Perrine, www.seapics.com; seagrassandcoral(background), Peter Goreau, Richard A. Lutz, RutgersUniversity,hy East Pacifi Risso’s dolphins(background), c Rise: Pelagos Sanctuary black smoker

drothermal

10 (OWE2ISE ,ORD

3EA 2OSS 7