Listen to the BBC episode podcast
Dr Jon Copley features every week in the BBC's Blue Planet II podcast, in his 'Catch of the Day' feature. Go to this week's podcast - Sixgills and Submersibles.
Episode two of Blue Planet II, 'The Deep', takes a ground breaking journey to the deep ocean. The deep ocean is an area of specialist research here at the University of Southampton.
Find out more about how our journeys to the deep have helped to inform Blue Planet.
Dr Jon Copley TEDx talk
Watch Dr Jon Copley, scientific advisor on Blue Planet II, talking about travelling to the deep ocean.
Watch the videoThe world's deepest vent
The world's deepest known undersea volcanic vent was discovered by a University of Southampton team
Watch the videoOur student blog
After each week's episode our MSci students Kieran and Elin will be updating the 'Exploring our Oceans' blog. They will share their thoughts about the episode and relate it back to what they are learning here at Southampton.
This week Kieran shares his wonder at the footage gained in such difficult environments.
Two years after being totally captivated by Dr Jon Copley’s lecture about the ecology of deep sea hydrothermal vents, whale falls and trenches, he was directly involved in helping the BBC bring these same environments to the public’s attention.
Expert commentary from our staff
Research undertaken by staff here at the University of Southampton has informed much of the science that is covered in Blue Planet II.
This week Professor Rachel Mills, Professor of Ocean Chemistry, and Dr Maria Baker, Senior Research Fellow and International Project Coordinator, share their thoughts about 'The Deep' episode.
Professor Rachel Mills, Professor of Ocean Chemistry, writes:
“Blue Planet II vividly demonstrated the enormity of the deep ocean, the vast areas of unknown, the extreme conditions out there and the extraordinary inhabitants. It is extraordinarily difficult to light the pitch black depths and the footage shown was the best I’ve seen. However good the video footage, nothing can recreate the experience of peering through the small acrylic plastic porthole of the deep diving submersible. One of the most exciting things I have ever done is to dive to the deep sea floor in the US submersible Alvin and the Russian Mir submersibles to study the hot hydrothermal vents on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
Watching the episode I was reminded of the extreme cold of the deep sea (woolly hats are essential for a long deep dive), the cramped conditions of the submersible, the intimacy of spending long hours inside a small sphere, and the wondrous sights of deep sea hot vents. Very few of us will ever get to explore the depths in this way and we share these experiences through our teaching, our engagement with people from around the globe in many different ways and through series like Blue Planet II.”
Find out more about Professor Mills' work and publications.
Dr Maria Baker, Senior Research Fellow and International Project Coordinator, writes:
"Over the past few decades, new technology has enabled so many more of us to glimpse into the dark world beneath the waves - the largest ecosystem on our planet - usually out of sight and out of mind for most. My hope is that these incredible images and stories will inspire humankind, igniting curiosity and also consideration of the critical functions and services this huge realm provides. We must carefully manage and protect this environment as a global community for the benefit of future generations".
Find out more about Dr Baker's research and publications
Find out more about the University's Marine Biology and Ecology Research Group.
Dr Maria Baker is also the editor of the Deep-Sea Life newsletter for the In Deep Project, an international network for scientific investigation of deep-sea ecosystems. Read the latest edition of this newsletter.
