COLDWATERS C I E N C EA journal of marine life
& ocean exploration
MARINE LIFE / OCEAN SCIENCE / EXPLORATION
Strange bodies. Remarkable adaptations.
Meet the life that makes our ocean extraordinary.
A CLOSER LOOK
Some drift, some pulse, some filter the water around them. Discover six groups with very different ways of living in the sea.
01Eight rows of cilia propel these delicate, often transparent predators.
Explore group →
02From tiny medusae to branching colonies: a remarkably varied class.
Explore group →
03Swimming snails with a foot transformed into wing-like lobes.
Explore group →
04Many connected zooids share the work of a single colony.
Explore group →
05A pulsing bell, trailing tentacles and a surprisingly complex life cycle.
Explore group →
06Sea squirts, salps and larvaceans share a chordate connection.
Explore group →Organism plates are simplified explanatory illustrations; features and proportions vary among species.
FROM THE RESEARCH DESK
Discovery / 2020
High-definition underwater video can document anatomy and behavior when collecting a delicate animal is impractical. A video-based species description is a specific evidence case, with clear strengths and limits.
Read the science →
Discovery / 2024
Bathydevius caudactylus shows how long-term observation and careful anatomical comparison can reveal an unfamiliar animal’s place in the deep sea.
Read the science →
Research tools / 2020
Laser imaging can reveal how a giant larvacean’s delicate mucus filters shape water and particle flow, while leaving open questions about where discarded material ultimately goes.
Read the science →FOLLOW THE LIGHT
Sunlight fades with depth. Follow it downward to see how the environment changes.
In roughly the upper 200 metres, enough sunlight can penetrate to support photosynthesis. Clarity, season and location change how far light reaches.
Approximate light zones. This is an educational guide, not a live ocean profile.
TAKE A NOTE. ASK A QUESTION.
Learn to record temperatures, read a photograph and put an observation in context.
Open the field library →