First findings about the creatures that live in the depths of the Mediterranean was presented by Risso (1816) according to Cartes et al. First findings about the deep sea marine organisms of the Mediterranean were gathered by the studies of Pola between 18, by Dana between 19 and by Thor between 19 (Cartes et al. Giant squid and Japanese spider crabįirst comprehensive data about the depths of the ocean was from the Challenger study between 18. These are only a few examples of just how large a deep sea marine organism can become (Figure 1).įigure 1. Giant squid Architeuthis dux can reach up to 13 m and may be found at 1000 m of depth (Atkinson, 2008). Jellyfish belonging to the genus of Stygiomedusa can reach up to 10 meters in size are thought to be one of the biggest invertebrate hunters in the ecosystem (Bourton, 2010 MSIP, 2020). Macrocheira kaempferi (Japanese spider crab) is found at up to 600 m of depth and 3.7 m in size (McClain et al., 2015). As an example to gigantism, (growth in species’ body sizes with increasing depth) fish from the Regalecidae family are excellent as they can reach up to 8 m with increasing depth (Froese and Pauly, 2007). While decreased size is correlated to limited food supply in taxon, gigantism is correlated to decreased predation and temperature. Increased predation, less competition and limited food supply in these isolated environments cause complex evolutionary process and in their body size. Size of deep sea species are adapted to their unique ecological strategies and habitats. In recent years, with rapid developments in underwater technology, number of deep sea research has greatly increased with several countries racing to discover the dark world beneath, trying novel equipment, leading to new exploration and increasing interest in underwater mining. Deep sea research is not only extremely costly but also requires great effort because of difficulties in application. Only biological studies with narrow fields of research and survey efforts with foreign partners have been possible. Insufficient number of scientific work exists for our deep sea regions. ![]() We have very limited knowledge about this dark world.ĭeep seas are difficult to reach and study in terms of scientific research due to lack of proper equipment and specialists, as well as financial difficulties. This region, formed after long geological and biological processes, has many unique and unparalleled ecosystems while being threatened by various anthropological activities. ![]() ![]() These sensitive ecosystems are home to mostly localized, non-migratory, long-lived, slow-maturing species with particular, species-specific, specialized ecological strategies (Politou et al., 2003).Īs light can penetrate approximately up to 200 metres in the seas (Lalli and Parsons, 2006), deep seas tend to be dark and high pressure habitats. For the world seas, marine areas with depths exceeding 200 m, the lower limits of the continental shelf, are described as ‘deep seas’.
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