But before we imagine a layer 12km high for microbial life in the skies, it’s worth remembering that they need a watery environment in which to thrive. There are also microbes in atmosphere above our heads, living in water droplets and on ice crystals in thunderclouds, up to an altitude of at least 12km. That’s smaller than the oceans, and furthermore not all that volume is habitable, as the microbes are squeezed into spaces within the rocks. The depth limit for such subterranean life depends on local geology, however, and even assuming a limit of 2.5km all around the world gives us a “subsurface biosphere” of around 1,275m km³. There are microbes living 2.5km below the ocean floor, for example, in coal-bearing sediments. These trench-dwellers are not the deepest lifeforms on our planet, however, as a “subsurface biosphere” of microbes permeates even further into the Earth’s crust. And there is life swimming or drifting throughout that vast volume, even to the bottom of the deepest trenches nearly 11km beneath the waves. The average depth of the ocean is 3,682 metres, so taking 71% of the Earth’s surface with that average depth gives us an estimated volume of 1,332 million km³ for the oceans. But what about lifeforms that aren’t confined to dry ground or the seabed, those that can swim, fly, drift in wind or currents, or even thrive below the planet’s surface? The oceans cover 71% of the surface of the Earth, so seafloor provides the largest area for those species that move about on or are rooted to our planet’s surface – a reasonable justification for the “largest habitat on Earth”. And lines like that in the prequel can certainly be a head-scratcher for academics like us who fact-check these programmes. Over the past two years I’ve been a scientific adviser on some of the topics covered in a couple of episodes, while colleagues at the Open University have been academic partners for the whole series. “The ocean: the largest habitat on Earth” – those words, spoken by Sir David Attenborough at the start of the “prequel” to Blue Planet II, capture the scope, focus, and justification for the BBC Natural History Unit’s latest landmark series. (C) BBC/Lisa Labinjoh/Joe Platkoĭr Jon Copley, Associate Professor in Ocean Exploration & Public Engagement at the University of Southampton and a scientific adviser for BBC television's Blue Planet II, assesses the oceans of information available about life beneath the waves. Most of time you can find their shoals of Barracudas, Sharks, Rays, Dolphins, huge Turtles and Mantas.įriends of Wreck Diving will prefer the North Tour.Published: 31 October 2017 Blue Planet II celebrates the diversity of Earth's ocean habitats. Our safari boats bring you weekly to Brother Islands or to the deep south of the Red Sea, for example St. In the midst of huge shoals of fishes and colourful coral reefs, you will be inspired from the spectacular variety of marine life.

– This is every diver & kite surfer’s dream.Īt night, you get to have the fantastic starry sky as your view– this is pure Safari!īecause of its interesting and truly unique geographic location, the Red Sea belongs to one of the most fantastic dive sites of the world. Sleeping, living, eating and relaxing on board, while having the sea under your disposal. The best way to become acquainted with the Red Sea is through a safari.Ī diving (kite) safari is the most impressive adventure for a diver or kite surfer. Offers a perfect starting point for a diving (kite) safari.

Blue planet sea of life