How do plants grow at the bottom of the ocean floor without sunlight? JON
Well, plants cannot grow without sunlight, and so they do not grow at the bottom of the ocean. Sunlight penetrates very faintly a few hundred feet into the ocean if the water is very clear, and this is the cut-off for where plants can live. Animals on the seafloor survive by eating particles, including dead plant material, that drifts to the seafloor.

 
How do sea creatures live with all of the water pressure? JULIE
The proteins and membranes of some animals are adapted to life at high pressure. These components of animals’ cells are built to remain flexible in an environment which tends to crush and compact things. Animals also don’t have any gas-filled spaces in their bodies, and so there isn’t anything to expand or shrink when they swim up and down in the water column.
What kinds of animals and plants live in the Indian Ocean? JULIE
Unlike the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the Indian ocean is mostly in the southern hemisphere. But even so the Indian Ocean contains environments similar to those in the Pacific and Atlantic; all sorts of animals and plants live in the coral reefs and hydrothermal vents there, for example. The Indian Ocean is relatively unexplored because it is so far away from the main oceanographic institutions of the world, but scientists are slowly learning more about it
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Why don’t all the fish at the bottom of the ocean have some kind of light or glowing body part? JULIE
Some fish are able to produce light by a chemical process called "bioluminescence" (which means "life light"). Fish glow for lots of reasons — to identify other fish of the same species in the darkness of the deep ocean so they can find a mate, to scare away predators or even to attract predators. On the other hand, if you don’t glow and instead have really good eyesight or sense of smell, you can avoid predators and hunt completely unseen!
What species live the deepest under the ocean? JULIE
The world’s record holder for deepest fish goes to the brotulid family, about which scientists know almost nothing. These fish live at depths of 7000 meters or more. The world’s deepest fish (Abyssobrotula galatheae) was found in the Puerto Rican Trench at a depth of 8,372 meters. And of course there are microorganisms and worms that live the very deepest ocean sediments: over 10,500 meters deep!
How many kinds of coral live in the ocean? JULIE
In the Philippines alone, marine biologists have identified 488 different species. Some rough estimates indicate more than 1000 kinds, although chances are there are many more that scientists simply have not yet identified.
How do sea creatures adjust to heat and pressure? MATT
Sea creatures adjust to the high temperatures and pressures found near hydrothermal vents by having different proteins* which actually work better under these extreme conditions. However, there is a limit to how much heat an animal can tolerate. Currently, the upper temperature limit for animals is around 50°C and for bacteria at 113°C.
* By the way, a protein is something that helps provide structure to an animal, and more importantly helps it eat, digest food, move, and a number of other functions.
What is the difference between stingrays and manta rays? JULIE
Rays are a group of fish that have a flattened body, enlarged pectoral fins (their "wings"), and gills on their underside. Both manta rays and stingrays belong to the group of rays. Manta rays are a type of large ray with earlike flaps on each side of the head. Sting rays are any of the rays having a long flexible tail with a bony spine at it’s base — that’s the part you don’t want to step on!
Does the giant squid eat the black sea dragon? JULIE
I don’t know what the black sea dragon is, but I bet the giant squid could eat it!
What is the strangest sea creature that lives near the ocean floor that you have come across? JULIE
Once we saw a huge jellyfish 1520 meters beneath the surface. It was huge! And very beautiful, but also very strange. I still don’t know what it was!
Has the giant squid ever been seen? JULIE
The giant squid has never been seen alive, only dead and washed up on beaches in Nova Scotia, New Zealand, and other countries. There are many "myths" about sailors at sea who claim to have seen the giant squid alive at the surface of the water, but these claims have not been verified. The search continues!
How large is the largest giant squid? JULIE
The largest dead giant squid found was approximately 60 feet head to toe (head to tentacle, that is). They might be larger, though, and we just haven’t found them yet.