The deep sea—Earth’s largest habitat—is home to a host of magical and mysterious animals. As we help our education and conservation partners at the Monterey Bay Aquarium prepare for the exhibit Into the Deep: Exploring Our Undiscovered Ocean, launching in 2022, they were curious to know which denizens of the deep are our favorites? With that question in mind, we gathered five of MBARI’s finest deep-sea biologists—Shannon Johnson, Kakani Katija, George Matsumoto, Bruce Robison, and Susan von Thun—and came up with a list of ten favorites. You might be surprised to see what made our list and what makes these creatures so lovable.

For more than three decades, MBARI researchers have been exploring the deep ocean with remotely operated vehicles, discovering fascinating ways that life in the deep sea has evolved to thrive in this dark, cold world. Our ocean is vast and full of things yet unseen. Every time we set out on an expedition, we are amazed by new observations and we are excited to share ten of those discoveries with you!

Learn more about MBARI research and the incredible discoveries we’ve made as we explore the ocean at

Monterey Bay Aquarium video production team: Christy Chamberlain, Presley Adamson
Editor: Lou Laprocido
MBARI video production team: Kyra Schlining, Susan von Thun, Nancy Jacobsen Stout, Heidi Cullen

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