1 00:00:01,300 --> 00:00:08,240 >> We're at 1,150 feet and 250 feet off the bottom. 2 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:12,270 >> NARRATOR: Unchanged for eons, the dark, 3 00:00:12,270 --> 00:00:15,870 alien depths and miles of unchartered territory 4 00:00:15,870 --> 00:00:18,630 of the deep sea tease the curious 5 00:00:18,630 --> 00:00:25,270 with their unexplored secrets. 6 00:00:25,270 --> 00:00:27,390 >> Every time you go down in the submersible, 7 00:00:27,390 --> 00:00:30,810 there's always something that's a surprise. 8 00:00:30,810 --> 00:00:34,840 Every submersible dive is a discovery. 9 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:37,000 >> My favorite thing is seeing some things 10 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:41,090 that I didn't know existed before. 11 00:00:41,090 --> 00:00:42,840 >> NARRATOR: Much of what lives in the deep 12 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:44,720 is little known or understood. 13 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:47,090 This includes a group of animals 14 00:00:47,090 --> 00:00:48,840 few people have ever heard of, 15 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:53,570 some of which seem eerily like an outstretched hand 16 00:00:53,570 --> 00:00:56,300 reaching from the grave. 17 00:00:56,300 --> 00:00:59,840 While others look like a field of flowers. 18 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:03,000 >> From the first moment I learned about crinoids, 19 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:04,720 I've been enthralled with them. 20 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:07,030 I just think they're beautiful organisms. 21 00:01:07,030 --> 00:01:10,750 >> Crinoids are the sea lilies and feather stars. 22 00:01:10,750 --> 00:01:13,300 They're one big group of the major branch 23 00:01:13,300 --> 00:01:15,660 of animal life called the echinoderms, 24 00:01:15,660 --> 00:01:18,180 which includes the sea stars, sea urchins 25 00:01:18,180 --> 00:01:19,750 and sea cucumbers. 26 00:01:19,750 --> 00:01:22,390 >> Crinoids are often referred to as living fossils 27 00:01:22,390 --> 00:01:25,870 because the forms that exist now are very similar 28 00:01:25,870 --> 00:01:29,720 to some forms that existed during the age of dinosaurs. 29 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:31,390 They've been around for a very long time. 30 00:01:31,390 --> 00:01:33,720 >> Crinoids are found all over the world. 31 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:36,630 There are Arctic and Antarctic, and tropical crinoids. 32 00:01:36,630 --> 00:01:38,570 There are some species that are found 33 00:01:38,570 --> 00:01:42,180 as shallow as just below the low-tide mark, 34 00:01:42,180 --> 00:01:45,360 and there are crinoids in the deepest ocean trenches. 35 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:49,000 >> My belief is these guys don't have natural deaths. 36 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:50,630 They die due to predation. 37 00:01:50,630 --> 00:01:52,810 In other words, they will live virtually forever 38 00:01:52,810 --> 00:01:57,479 if you let them. 39 00:01:57,479 --> 00:01:59,270 >> NARRATOR: What remains to be discovered 40 00:01:59,270 --> 00:02:01,720 about these living fossils? 41 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:04,210 What can modern crinoids tell us 42 00:02:04,210 --> 00:02:31,870 about their ancient relatives? 43 00:02:31,870 --> 00:02:34,690 >> Major funding for this program was provided by: 44 00:02:34,690 --> 00:02:37,750 The Batchelor Foundation, encouraging people 45 00:02:37,750 --> 00:02:44,870 to preserve and protect America's underwater resources. 46 00:02:44,870 --> 00:02:47,780 And by Divers Direct Emocean Club, 47 00:02:47,780 --> 00:02:50,210 inspiring the pursuit of tropical adventures 48 00:02:50,210 --> 00:02:54,540 and scuba diving. 49 00:02:54,540 --> 00:03:03,480 # # 50 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:05,630 >> NARRATOR: Roatan is one of the bay islands 51 00:03:05,630 --> 00:03:14,840 lining the Honduran Coast in Central America. 52 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:18,060 It is on the southern tip of the Mesoamerican Reef, 53 00:03:18,060 --> 00:03:21,150 making it a popular vacation destination 54 00:03:21,150 --> 00:03:23,090 for scuba divers. 55 00:03:23,090 --> 00:03:29,210 # # 56 00:03:29,210 --> 00:03:31,480 Not far from the island's shore, 57 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:34,510 a wall plunges into the depths, 58 00:03:34,510 --> 00:03:37,180 making the area a perfect place 59 00:03:37,180 --> 00:03:41,240 for deep sea exploration. 60 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:43,180 >> In terms of the geographical set up, 61 00:03:43,180 --> 00:03:45,840 it's just absolutely ideal. 62 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:53,360 # # 63 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:55,420 >> NARRATOR: Submersible builder and pilot 64 00:03:55,420 --> 00:03:58,390 Karl Stanley, who runs the Roatan Institute 65 00:03:58,390 --> 00:04:01,240 of Deep Sea Exploration, set up shop 66 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:04,300 on the island's west end, from where he motors 67 00:04:04,300 --> 00:04:08,150 his submersible "Idabel" across the bay 68 00:04:08,150 --> 00:04:11,330 and then drops down into the deep. 69 00:04:11,330 --> 00:04:14,840 >> The deepest I offer trips to the public is 2,000 feet, 70 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:18,060 but I've been to 2,660. 71 00:04:18,060 --> 00:04:21,839 I actually designed this for 3,000 feet. 72 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:23,630 >> NARRATOR : While the majority of Karl's customers 73 00:04:23,630 --> 00:04:27,510 are tourists with an adventurous spirit, 74 00:04:27,510 --> 00:04:30,060 his operation has also drawn the attention 75 00:04:30,060 --> 00:04:36,000 of marine scientists interested in exploring the area. 76 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:38,330 >> I came to Roatan based on a photograph 77 00:04:38,330 --> 00:04:41,450 that Karl Stanley, the submersible pilot, 78 00:04:41,450 --> 00:04:45,750 took and posted on his website. 79 00:04:45,750 --> 00:04:48,240 >> NARRATOR: Dr. Charles Messing is a professor 80 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:50,300 of Nova Southeastern University's 81 00:04:50,300 --> 00:04:56,180 Oceanographic Center in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. 82 00:04:56,180 --> 00:04:59,480 >> We've just passed 1,000 feet. 83 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:02,270 No photosynthesis down here. 84 00:05:02,270 --> 00:05:04,540 >> NARRATOR: He has spent the majority 85 00:05:04,540 --> 00:05:07,060 of his scientific career studying 86 00:05:07,060 --> 00:05:11,180 a little known group of animals called crinoids, 87 00:05:11,180 --> 00:05:15,300 some of which occur only in the deep sea. 88 00:05:15,300 --> 00:05:19,600 >> No one doubts that crinoids are very obscure organisms. 89 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:22,210 The vast majority of people have never heard of a crinoid. 90 00:05:22,210 --> 00:05:23,420 Well, maybe they've heard of the fossils, 91 00:05:23,420 --> 00:05:24,870 but a sea lily? 92 00:05:24,870 --> 00:05:25,870 What's a sea lily? 93 00:05:25,870 --> 00:05:26,870 Is it some kind of flower? 94 00:05:26,870 --> 00:05:27,870 Who knows? 95 00:05:27,870 --> 00:05:30,330 >> NARRATOR: The photo he saw online 96 00:05:30,330 --> 00:05:34,659 featured one of the species he studies. 97 00:05:34,659 --> 00:05:37,840 >> What we know about the biology of crinoids 98 00:05:37,840 --> 00:05:42,510 is still pretty limited. 99 00:05:42,510 --> 00:05:44,659 Well, we can certainly motor along at that depth 100 00:05:44,659 --> 00:05:47,180 and see if you can find them. 101 00:05:47,180 --> 00:05:49,420 >> NARRATOR: So, together with his collaborators, 102 00:05:49,420 --> 00:05:54,120 he began conducting research from Karl's sub in 2012. 103 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:57,810 Their goal is to answer some basic questions 104 00:05:57,810 --> 00:05:59,060 about the animals, 105 00:05:59,060 --> 00:06:00,870 such as how long they might live, 106 00:06:00,870 --> 00:06:04,150 how fast they grow and so forth. 107 00:06:04,150 --> 00:06:07,150 >> I am particularly interested in sort of aspects 108 00:06:07,150 --> 00:06:10,240 of the function of organisms. 109 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:11,390 How do they work? 110 00:06:11,390 --> 00:06:17,120 Sort of an engineering perspective to biology. 111 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:18,420 >> About 185? 112 00:06:18,420 --> 00:06:19,720 >> 185! 113 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:21,360 >> Famous last words? 114 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:22,840 See you later. 115 00:06:22,840 --> 00:06:24,060 >> Water? 116 00:06:24,060 --> 00:06:25,360 >> Water. 117 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:26,360 >> Still camera? 118 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:27,810 >> Still camera. 119 00:06:27,810 --> 00:06:28,810 >> Snuggie blanket? 120 00:06:28,810 --> 00:06:30,630 >> Snuggie blanket. 121 00:06:30,630 --> 00:06:51,390 I feel like a professional. 122 00:06:51,390 --> 00:06:53,060 >> Any time here we're going to be going through 123 00:06:53,060 --> 00:06:55,420 the thermocline, which I also like to call 124 00:06:55,420 --> 00:06:57,750 the free air conditioning zone. 125 00:06:57,750 --> 00:07:01,000 Now, we just need to go straight down, 126 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:28,600 get neutrally buoyant and start exploring. 127 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:30,660 >> Okay, we are on the bottom, 128 00:07:30,660 --> 00:07:33,390 a big, yellow feather star hanging down. 129 00:07:33,390 --> 00:07:36,659 >> NARRATOR: Of the about 640 species of crinoids 130 00:07:36,659 --> 00:07:39,090 found in modern seas, 131 00:07:39,090 --> 00:07:42,870 at least 17 occur in the waters off Roatan. 132 00:07:42,870 --> 00:07:46,510 They include the flowerlike sea lilies, 133 00:07:46,510 --> 00:07:48,570 feather stars, 134 00:07:48,570 --> 00:07:51,750 and the rather strange-looking holopus. 135 00:07:51,750 --> 00:07:53,240 >> There are three species of holopus-- 136 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:55,300 two here in the Caribbean and one in the Pacific-- 137 00:07:55,300 --> 00:07:57,030 and they all look pretty much alike. 138 00:07:57,030 --> 00:07:59,240 When they're expanded, they look like a little hand 139 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:01,390 with a very stout wrist. 140 00:08:01,390 --> 00:08:04,720 And, basically, the wrist is cemented on to the substrate. 141 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:06,090 There's no stalk. 142 00:08:06,090 --> 00:08:09,840 And, of course, it's a complete ring of ten arms, 143 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:13,750 but they look like fingers, and they look like a gauntlet. 144 00:08:13,750 --> 00:08:15,360 Like armored gloves. 145 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:17,090 And when they close, 146 00:08:17,090 --> 00:08:19,780 they close up completely and tightly, 147 00:08:19,780 --> 00:08:21,630 so they look like a fist. 148 00:08:21,630 --> 00:08:25,510 >> NARRATOR: The arms allow crinoids to feed. 149 00:08:25,510 --> 00:08:27,540 >> All crinoids are suspension feeders. 150 00:08:27,540 --> 00:08:31,300 They rely on small plankton that drift by. 151 00:08:31,300 --> 00:08:34,240 And they all have at least five feathery arms, 152 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:35,750 and the side branches of the arms 153 00:08:35,750 --> 00:08:37,570 are called pinnules, like a feather. 154 00:08:37,570 --> 00:08:39,299 And along those pinnules 155 00:08:39,299 --> 00:08:41,780 are tiny, little finger-like structures. 156 00:08:41,780 --> 00:08:45,420 And as the plankton drifts by, these little fingerlike feet 157 00:08:45,420 --> 00:08:50,030 just flick passing particles of plankton into a groove 158 00:08:50,030 --> 00:08:51,690 with microscopic hairs. 159 00:08:51,690 --> 00:08:54,630 And that carries the particles, like a conveyor belt, 160 00:08:54,630 --> 00:08:56,720 down to the mouth in the middle. 161 00:08:56,720 --> 00:08:58,300 And the mouth is right down in the base 162 00:08:58,300 --> 00:09:01,240 of what would be the center of the flower. 163 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:03,180 They have a complete gut, with the mouth and the anus, 164 00:09:03,180 --> 00:09:04,330 down in the middle. 165 00:09:04,330 --> 00:09:06,240 They have a nervous system, but no brain. 166 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:10,720 And they produce eggs and sperm just like other animals. 167 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:13,120 (groans) 168 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:14,510 (laughs) 169 00:09:14,510 --> 00:09:16,180 >> NARRATOR: While diving in the sub, 170 00:09:16,180 --> 00:09:19,420 the experts collect specimens for further study. 171 00:09:19,420 --> 00:09:23,510 >> Our sampling apparatus is very, very simple. 172 00:09:23,510 --> 00:09:26,120 It's basically a net on the end of a stick 173 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:28,270 that we can scrape along the substrate 174 00:09:28,270 --> 00:09:30,690 and pop a couple of these holopus off. 175 00:09:30,690 --> 00:09:40,660 Bingo! 176 00:09:40,660 --> 00:09:42,870 Wonderful. 177 00:09:42,870 --> 00:09:44,180 >> NARRATOR: Once back at the surface, 178 00:09:44,180 --> 00:09:47,420 the specimens are preserved. 179 00:09:47,420 --> 00:09:48,840 >> This is a holopus. 180 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:51,720 It gives you an idea of how large the animal is. 181 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:53,240 It's about as big as they get, 182 00:09:53,240 --> 00:09:57,300 and, of course, its arms are all folded together. 183 00:09:57,300 --> 00:10:00,120 You can see where it cements onto the rock face 184 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:01,540 by its stump. 185 00:10:01,540 --> 00:10:05,000 We are going to use a series of preservatives 186 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:08,210 on some of the smaller pieces for molecular work. 187 00:10:08,210 --> 00:10:12,840 We're going to subject the tissue to DNA analysis, 188 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:15,750 to try to understand the evolutionary history, 189 00:10:15,750 --> 00:10:17,120 who's related to who, 190 00:10:17,120 --> 00:10:20,690 and develop an overall family tree of crinoids. 191 00:10:20,690 --> 00:10:22,690 The first family tree of crinoids 192 00:10:22,690 --> 00:10:26,450 using DNA sequences was published about ten years ago, 193 00:10:26,450 --> 00:10:30,090 but it only had a handful of species. 194 00:10:30,090 --> 00:10:31,660 So, we're continuing to collect. 195 00:10:31,660 --> 00:10:34,870 Now we're also looking at RNA. 196 00:10:34,870 --> 00:10:36,750 We can take little pieces of the pinnules, 197 00:10:36,750 --> 00:10:39,150 put them into a particular solution 198 00:10:39,150 --> 00:10:40,780 that will preserve the RNA. 199 00:10:40,780 --> 00:10:45,270 And that we can use to look at which genes are active. 200 00:10:45,270 --> 00:10:47,330 >> NARRATOR: Active genes reveal 201 00:10:47,330 --> 00:10:50,540 how an animal is responding to its environment. 202 00:10:50,540 --> 00:10:53,570 For example, they may indicate which genes are involved 203 00:10:53,570 --> 00:10:57,270 in digestion, and the DNA sequences of these genes 204 00:10:57,270 --> 00:11:00,390 will help unravel the evolutionary relationships 205 00:11:00,390 --> 00:11:09,690 among different species. 206 00:11:09,690 --> 00:11:12,510 Not all specimens can be collected with a net. 207 00:11:12,510 --> 00:11:15,570 >> We have a suction tube that is powered 208 00:11:15,570 --> 00:11:17,870 by one of the submersible's thrusters, 209 00:11:17,870 --> 00:11:20,480 and we can suck crinoids in. 210 00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:22,630 >> NARRATOR: With this suction tube, 211 00:11:22,630 --> 00:11:24,360 the scientists collect sea lilies, 212 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:28,180 feather stars, as well as a potential predator. 213 00:11:28,180 --> 00:11:29,690 >> In deep water, we've discovered 214 00:11:29,690 --> 00:11:33,330 that there's this sea urchin that will prey on crinoids. 215 00:11:33,330 --> 00:11:35,480 We know it does because one of my colleagues 216 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:38,600 has found the skeletal pieces of the crinoids 217 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:41,540 in the guts of the sea urchins. 218 00:11:41,540 --> 00:11:44,060 >> NARRATOR: The scientists are particularly interested 219 00:11:44,060 --> 00:11:48,360 in what is eating and attacking crinoids. 220 00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:51,210 >> Primarily, what we're doing in the sub 221 00:11:51,210 --> 00:11:53,690 is trying to look at populations of crinoids 222 00:11:53,690 --> 00:11:55,780 at different depths, and we're looking 223 00:11:55,780 --> 00:11:57,810 at the frequency of regenerating arms 224 00:11:57,810 --> 00:12:00,210 in each one of those populations. 225 00:12:00,210 --> 00:12:02,090 So, essentially, the idea is that 226 00:12:02,090 --> 00:12:03,570 in shallow water environments 227 00:12:03,570 --> 00:12:06,150 where they're better illuminated, 228 00:12:06,150 --> 00:12:08,510 you would expect to see more crinoids 229 00:12:08,510 --> 00:12:10,180 with regenerating arms 230 00:12:10,180 --> 00:12:12,090 because they're being attacked more often 231 00:12:12,090 --> 00:12:14,660 than you would in deep water, where there is less light. 232 00:12:14,660 --> 00:12:15,810 There, you would expect 233 00:12:15,810 --> 00:12:17,630 much lower rates of encounters with predators, 234 00:12:17,630 --> 00:12:20,180 and you would expect to see fewer regenerated arms 235 00:12:20,180 --> 00:12:21,570 as a consequence. 236 00:12:21,570 --> 00:12:25,720 >> Sea stars can regenerate an arm that they've lost. 237 00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:28,570 Crinoids are masters of regeneration also. 238 00:12:28,570 --> 00:12:32,570 They all start out with five unbranched arms 239 00:12:32,570 --> 00:12:34,480 when they're really, really small. 240 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:36,060 But what happens then for the ones 241 00:12:36,060 --> 00:12:39,090 that grow more arms is, they will drop an arm 242 00:12:39,090 --> 00:12:42,330 and regrow two or four. 243 00:12:42,330 --> 00:12:46,300 And they'll also drop an arm in response to predation. 244 00:12:46,300 --> 00:12:48,360 >> They've developed places in the arms 245 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:50,750 that are analogous to a lizard's tail. 246 00:12:50,750 --> 00:12:53,360 So, a lizard's tail is thought to function 247 00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:55,210 as an escape strategy. 248 00:12:55,210 --> 00:12:58,630 During a predatory attack, it'll give up its tail 249 00:12:58,630 --> 00:13:00,420 in order to escape. 250 00:13:00,420 --> 00:13:02,480 Crinoids do something similar, 251 00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:06,000 both in their arms and in their stalks. 252 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:07,870 >> They can also regenerate the lump of tissue 253 00:13:07,870 --> 00:13:09,780 in the middle that has the gut. 254 00:13:09,780 --> 00:13:12,840 And so, if there's stress or predation, 255 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:14,240 they can regenerate the whole thing, 256 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:16,300 lock, stock and barrel. 257 00:13:16,300 --> 00:13:17,540 >> There is no evidence that they will 258 00:13:17,540 --> 00:13:20,330 just sort of naturally die. 259 00:13:20,330 --> 00:13:22,780 >> I may not be able to get it because of the slope, huh? 260 00:13:22,780 --> 00:13:25,870 >> We'll see. 261 00:13:25,870 --> 00:13:27,750 >> NARRATOR: While some species of crinoids 262 00:13:27,750 --> 00:13:30,240 are permanently attached to the bottom, 263 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:33,750 others have developed the ability to move around, 264 00:13:33,750 --> 00:13:37,180 likely as a response to predators. 265 00:13:37,180 --> 00:13:39,570 >> The majority of fossil crinoids 266 00:13:39,570 --> 00:13:42,780 and a number of living crinoids have a stalk 267 00:13:42,780 --> 00:13:44,720 that cements to hard substrates, 268 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:47,630 and a few of them have a root-like structure 269 00:13:47,630 --> 00:13:50,540 at the base of the stalk so they don't move around. 270 00:13:50,540 --> 00:13:53,450 Other stalked crinoids, a whole family of them, 271 00:13:53,450 --> 00:13:56,330 have hooks along the stalk, and they use them 272 00:13:56,330 --> 00:13:59,690 as grapnels to attach to hard substrates. 273 00:13:59,690 --> 00:14:03,240 But they can actually release them and lie down 274 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:05,000 and crawl around with their arms. 275 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:08,630 And the feather stars retain a little circle of hooks 276 00:14:08,630 --> 00:14:12,150 with which they attach to hard substrates. 277 00:14:12,150 --> 00:14:13,840 And they can release them and crawl with their arms, 278 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:17,720 and some of them can actually swim. 279 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:20,360 The sea lilies that we find here in Roatan, 280 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:22,270 we've got two species of them so far 281 00:14:22,270 --> 00:14:24,150 that have hooks along the stalk. 282 00:14:24,150 --> 00:14:30,720 Both of them can lie down, detach and crawl away. 283 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:34,480 Let me get a shot in the distance. 284 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:38,060 >> NARRATOR: To see how crinoids grow and regenerate, 285 00:14:38,060 --> 00:14:41,810 the experts take lots of photos and record video, 286 00:14:41,810 --> 00:14:45,450 which they compare from year to year. 287 00:14:45,450 --> 00:14:47,420 >> So, what we've established are some locations 288 00:14:47,420 --> 00:14:51,210 where we go and we'll return to those over time. 289 00:14:51,210 --> 00:14:53,120 And for these deep-water organisms, 290 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:54,360 that's rarely done. 291 00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:57,630 And so we hope to get a lot of information about recruitment, 292 00:14:57,630 --> 00:14:59,690 you know, the sort of birth-death rates, 293 00:14:59,690 --> 00:15:02,390 growth rates, and a variety of other things-- 294 00:15:02,390 --> 00:15:04,510 interactions with other organisms, predators; 295 00:15:04,510 --> 00:15:06,570 fatalities due to predation. 296 00:15:06,570 --> 00:15:09,780 So, we are pretty much set on at least a five, six year 297 00:15:09,780 --> 00:15:16,540 time frame at this point. 298 00:15:16,540 --> 00:15:18,090 >> So when you look up, you're seeing the edge 299 00:15:18,090 --> 00:15:19,870 of the second wall, 300 00:15:19,870 --> 00:15:23,600 and right now that's 250 feet above us. 301 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:25,720 >> Karl's knowledge of the local area 302 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:27,450 is quite amazing. 303 00:15:27,450 --> 00:15:29,150 I mean, he's been here for years, 304 00:15:29,150 --> 00:15:32,360 and what he does is he'll drop down to a certain depth. 305 00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:34,840 You tell him, "Well, these crinoids we're looking for 306 00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:37,240 are in 1,100 feet." 307 00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:39,600 So he drops down to 1,100 feet in a certain area 308 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:41,720 and just motors along. 309 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:43,330 There you are. 310 00:15:43,330 --> 00:15:46,210 >> My biggest navigational aids are a compass, 311 00:15:46,210 --> 00:15:48,480 which basically allows me to know if I'm going 312 00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:50,660 away from the wall or towards the wall, 313 00:15:50,660 --> 00:15:52,690 and then I have a fish finder that tells me 314 00:15:52,690 --> 00:15:54,120 how far off the bottom I am 315 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:56,840 and everything else is based off of my memory 316 00:15:56,840 --> 00:15:57,840 of the area. 317 00:15:57,840 --> 00:15:59,870 >> How far is it to the fan? 318 00:15:59,870 --> 00:16:06,090 >> We're halfway there. 319 00:16:06,090 --> 00:16:08,270 >> NARRATOR: Pilot Karl has been fascinated 320 00:16:08,270 --> 00:16:11,630 with submersibles from a young age. 321 00:16:11,630 --> 00:16:14,660 >> I got started when I was nine years old, 322 00:16:14,660 --> 00:16:16,330 reading a short story. 323 00:16:16,330 --> 00:16:20,000 And at that age, I said I was going to build a sub, 324 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:22,030 started making drawings that I still have. 325 00:16:22,030 --> 00:16:25,840 >> NARRATOR: At age 15, Karl started building 326 00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:28,450 his first submersible, which he completed 327 00:16:28,450 --> 00:16:31,240 during his senior year of college. 328 00:16:31,240 --> 00:16:36,210 He operated that submersible in Roatan for two years 329 00:16:36,210 --> 00:16:39,210 before designing his current sub. 330 00:16:39,210 --> 00:16:48,780 >> "Idabel" is a completely original design. 331 00:16:48,780 --> 00:16:52,120 She's made of three spheres of three different sizes. 332 00:16:52,120 --> 00:16:54,420 The largest sphere is four and a half feet, 333 00:16:54,420 --> 00:16:55,750 and that's where the passengers sit. 334 00:16:55,750 --> 00:16:58,570 And that used to be part of another submarine 335 00:16:58,570 --> 00:17:03,810 that had been built in the '70s for North Sea oil work. 336 00:17:03,810 --> 00:17:06,119 I have fully redundant propulsion systems, 337 00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:09,300 separate battery banks, four motors in the back 338 00:17:09,300 --> 00:17:11,000 and separate switching systems 339 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:14,180 so that I can lose any component 340 00:17:14,180 --> 00:17:17,390 of my propulsion system, battery, wiring, motor-- 341 00:17:17,390 --> 00:17:20,359 and it happens, couple times a year probably-- 342 00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:22,240 and my passengers never even know 343 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:26,270 because everything is completely redundant. 344 00:17:26,270 --> 00:17:28,480 That's one safety aspect right there. 345 00:17:28,480 --> 00:17:30,120 The other is, if you flood 346 00:17:30,120 --> 00:17:32,690 the two ballast compartments with air, 347 00:17:32,690 --> 00:17:35,120 you're going to have over 1,500 pounds 348 00:17:35,120 --> 00:17:36,600 of positive buoyancy. 349 00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:40,390 And then, you also have a 450-pound lead weight 350 00:17:40,390 --> 00:17:42,810 under the sub that you can turn one bolt 351 00:17:42,810 --> 00:17:45,060 from the inside and release. 352 00:17:45,060 --> 00:17:46,240 So, then, basically, you can have 353 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:47,690 a ton of positive buoyancy, 354 00:17:47,690 --> 00:17:49,630 and you also have vertical thrusters 355 00:17:49,630 --> 00:17:51,750 that give you another couple hundred pounds. 356 00:17:51,750 --> 00:17:54,780 And then, I also carry three days of air on board. 357 00:17:54,780 --> 00:17:57,750 >> NARRATOR: As of July 2013, 358 00:17:57,750 --> 00:18:02,360 Karl had made more than 1,150 dives in "Idabel," 359 00:18:02,360 --> 00:18:08,300 including those with Chuck, Tom and Forest. 360 00:18:08,300 --> 00:18:10,870 >> I've been studying stalked crinoids since high school 361 00:18:10,870 --> 00:18:15,450 and yesterday was the first time I was able to see one alive 362 00:18:15,450 --> 00:18:17,450 and in its natural environment. 363 00:18:17,450 --> 00:18:21,240 So, here you are studying fossils for 20 years, 364 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:22,630 and you never see the living form. 365 00:18:22,630 --> 00:18:25,000 It would almost be like someone who studied dinosaurs 366 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:28,030 since they were a kid and then just happen to have 367 00:18:28,030 --> 00:18:29,450 the opportunity to see one. 368 00:18:29,450 --> 00:18:31,480 And so that's essentially what happened for me 369 00:18:31,480 --> 00:18:35,270 is I got to see my dinosaur, my living fossil. 370 00:18:35,270 --> 00:18:37,360 One of the reasons that I love the fossil record 371 00:18:37,360 --> 00:18:40,120 is because it gives you a deep time perspective 372 00:18:40,120 --> 00:18:42,030 that you can get really in no other way. 373 00:18:42,030 --> 00:18:44,090 It gives you an opportunity to really study 374 00:18:44,090 --> 00:18:46,240 how the oceans have changed 375 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:49,690 and how predator-prey dynamics have changed. 376 00:18:49,690 --> 00:18:52,390 >> NARRATOR: Studying modern crinoids 377 00:18:52,390 --> 00:18:56,870 can help answer questions about their ancient ancestors. 378 00:18:56,870 --> 00:18:59,000 >> Crinoids first appear in the rocks 379 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:00,750 about 500 millions years ago, 380 00:19:00,750 --> 00:19:05,480 and they have existed in the oceans since that time. 381 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:08,330 There are at least 6,000 species 382 00:19:08,330 --> 00:19:11,450 preserved in the rocks that have been described. 383 00:19:11,450 --> 00:19:15,330 Crinoids were most abundant during the Paleozoic era, 384 00:19:15,330 --> 00:19:19,030 which is the era that precedes the age of dinosaurs. 385 00:19:19,030 --> 00:19:21,240 >> The time we refer to as the Mississippian-- 386 00:19:21,240 --> 00:19:23,630 340 million years ago-- 387 00:19:23,630 --> 00:19:27,390 was a time of great diversity and abundance, 388 00:19:27,390 --> 00:19:29,330 so it's thought to be the peak 389 00:19:29,330 --> 00:19:33,000 of their sort of evolutionary success. 390 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:36,750 And during that time, we had many, many crinoids 391 00:19:36,750 --> 00:19:39,420 living in shallow seas as well as deeper seas. 392 00:19:39,420 --> 00:19:41,810 >> They were the dominant organisms 393 00:19:41,810 --> 00:19:45,690 in some of the ecosystems back then. 394 00:19:45,690 --> 00:19:49,630 Just miles and miles of crinoid meadows. 395 00:19:49,630 --> 00:19:51,450 >> At the very end of the Paleozoic, 396 00:19:51,450 --> 00:19:53,870 just before the age of dinosaurs began, 397 00:19:53,870 --> 00:19:55,630 there was a mass extinction event, 398 00:19:55,630 --> 00:19:58,240 >> What's called the "granddaddy of all extinctions": 399 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:01,750 the Permo-Triassic extinctions 250 million years ago. 400 00:20:01,750 --> 00:20:04,240 It's been estimated that 95% of all species 401 00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:07,210 that have lived became extinct at that time. 402 00:20:07,210 --> 00:20:08,540 Crinoids suffered heavily. 403 00:20:08,540 --> 00:20:11,180 And, in fact, there is a gap in the record of crinoids. 404 00:20:11,180 --> 00:20:13,420 We see fossil crinoids below it, 405 00:20:13,420 --> 00:20:15,090 certain number of millions of years, 406 00:20:15,090 --> 00:20:17,270 and above it we see just one. 407 00:20:17,270 --> 00:20:19,450 We start off with just a single taxa, 408 00:20:19,450 --> 00:20:21,450 and it is believed to be the ancestor 409 00:20:21,450 --> 00:20:23,390 of all modern crinoids. 410 00:20:23,390 --> 00:20:26,150 So, out of a group that was incredibly diverse, 411 00:20:26,150 --> 00:20:28,120 a single one squeezes through. 412 00:20:28,120 --> 00:20:31,420 And then it gives rise to this modern-day diversity. 413 00:20:31,420 --> 00:20:33,690 >> NARRATOR: Crinoid fossils can be found 414 00:20:33,690 --> 00:20:35,270 all over the world. 415 00:20:35,270 --> 00:20:37,690 In the U.S., they are particularly common 416 00:20:37,690 --> 00:20:39,630 in the Midwest. 417 00:20:39,630 --> 00:20:42,060 >> I actually grew up in Burlington, Iowa, 418 00:20:42,060 --> 00:20:43,360 which is often referred to 419 00:20:43,360 --> 00:20:45,600 as "the crinoid capital of the world." 420 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:46,780 It preserves the remains 421 00:20:46,780 --> 00:20:49,870 of about 350 species of fossil crinoids. 422 00:20:49,870 --> 00:20:52,720 >> Because about 300 million years ago, 423 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:55,870 that area was a vast inland sea. 424 00:20:55,870 --> 00:20:59,750 And there are tens of thousands of square kilometers 425 00:20:59,750 --> 00:21:02,690 of what we call crinoidal limestone, 426 00:21:02,690 --> 00:21:04,840 which is limestone made primarily 427 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:11,420 out of the fossil remains, sometimes tens of meters thick. 428 00:21:11,420 --> 00:21:13,630 >> NARRATOR: And the discovery of living crinoids 429 00:21:13,630 --> 00:21:15,480 even played a part in the beginnings 430 00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:18,690 of modern oceanography. 431 00:21:18,690 --> 00:21:20,690 >> Back in the middle of the 19th century, 432 00:21:20,690 --> 00:21:24,420 the general consensus was that no life could exist 433 00:21:24,420 --> 00:21:25,780 in the deep ocean. 434 00:21:25,780 --> 00:21:30,720 >> NARRATOR: Then, in 1864, a young fisheries officer 435 00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:33,840 named Georg Sars dredged up a sea lily off 436 00:21:33,840 --> 00:21:35,720 the coast of Norway. 437 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:38,870 His father, the zoologist Michael Sars, 438 00:21:38,870 --> 00:21:41,240 realized it looked very similar 439 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:44,510 to an ancient fossil crinoid. 440 00:21:44,510 --> 00:21:46,570 >> This excited a lot of people, 441 00:21:46,570 --> 00:21:49,840 because this suggested that ancient forms of life 442 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:51,510 could exist in the deep sea. 443 00:21:51,510 --> 00:21:53,720 Now, Charles Darwin had just published 444 00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:56,600 "The Origin of Species" a couple of years before that, 445 00:21:56,600 --> 00:21:59,510 which suggested that organisms evolved 446 00:21:59,510 --> 00:22:02,120 in response to a changing environment. 447 00:22:02,120 --> 00:22:03,330 If the environment doesn't change, 448 00:22:03,330 --> 00:22:05,180 they're not going to evolve as fast. 449 00:22:05,180 --> 00:22:07,840 There's no natural selection pressure for them to do so. 450 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:09,690 >> NARRATOR: After the discovery 451 00:22:09,690 --> 00:22:11,750 of the ancient-looking sea lily, 452 00:22:11,750 --> 00:22:14,390 scientists petitioned the British Admiralty 453 00:22:14,390 --> 00:22:17,660 for a ship to conduct further research. 454 00:22:17,660 --> 00:22:21,600 Eventually, that led to the HMS "Challenger" expedition 455 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:24,630 in the 1870s. 456 00:22:24,630 --> 00:22:26,810 >> Which was the first round-the-world, 457 00:22:26,810 --> 00:22:30,030 oceanographic expedition. 458 00:22:30,030 --> 00:22:31,330 >> Karl? >> Yeah? 459 00:22:31,330 --> 00:22:33,750 >> If you can move the sub up so the lasers 460 00:22:33,750 --> 00:22:36,120 flank that specimen, and I will try 461 00:22:36,120 --> 00:22:39,210 to get a photo with the lasers in there. 462 00:22:39,210 --> 00:22:41,420 There is generation, I can see that. 463 00:22:41,420 --> 00:22:43,600 That is very cool. 464 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:48,360 We are looking at a holopus I photographed last year, 465 00:22:48,360 --> 00:22:52,150 and it was missing a couple of its five rays. 466 00:22:52,150 --> 00:22:55,390 And I can see regeneration there. 467 00:22:55,390 --> 00:22:58,600 Here, you can see our scaling lasers. 468 00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:01,570 Our scaling lasers are ten centimeters apart. 469 00:23:01,570 --> 00:23:03,390 That's about four inches. 470 00:23:03,390 --> 00:23:06,000 And so, we can get an absolute measurement 471 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:09,480 of how much growth has actually taken place, 472 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:11,120 and that's a step. 473 00:23:11,120 --> 00:23:13,690 And next year, we'll absolutely know 474 00:23:13,690 --> 00:23:16,840 what the exact rate of growth is. 475 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:18,270 And it's really interesting because we know 476 00:23:18,270 --> 00:23:20,660 almost nothing about these animals 477 00:23:20,660 --> 00:23:23,060 apart from what depth range they growth in 478 00:23:23,060 --> 00:23:24,600 and where they're found. 479 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:27,600 So, this is the first little piece of biology 480 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:29,450 that we've been able to discover 481 00:23:29,450 --> 00:23:32,330 about these animals. 482 00:23:32,330 --> 00:23:33,450 >> NARRATOR: Once back in the lab 483 00:23:33,450 --> 00:23:36,540 in Ft. Lauderdale, Chuck creates drawings 484 00:23:36,540 --> 00:23:39,150 of the specimens collected in the field. 485 00:23:39,150 --> 00:23:42,450 Together with the DNA analysis, 486 00:23:42,450 --> 00:23:44,780 this will help to better identify species 487 00:23:44,780 --> 00:23:49,150 and understand their basic biology. 488 00:23:49,150 --> 00:23:52,450 >> For example, this is the stalked crinoid, 489 00:23:52,450 --> 00:23:54,840 one of the stalked crinoids we collected in Roatan. 490 00:23:54,840 --> 00:23:56,270 And it turns out 491 00:23:56,270 --> 00:23:59,180 that there are three or four different names of species 492 00:23:59,180 --> 00:24:01,600 for crinoids that look like this all around the Caribbean. 493 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:03,540 And it's not clear where one species ends 494 00:24:03,540 --> 00:24:05,090 and another one begins. 495 00:24:05,090 --> 00:24:08,540 So, we're going to try to do some detailed illustrations 496 00:24:08,540 --> 00:24:11,180 and measurements and try to figure out 497 00:24:11,180 --> 00:24:13,090 what species it actually is. 498 00:24:13,090 --> 00:24:16,120 We'll also have to compare it to some museum specimens. 499 00:24:16,120 --> 00:24:17,750 When I look in the microscope, 500 00:24:17,750 --> 00:24:20,690 I see the image of the critter 501 00:24:20,690 --> 00:24:23,630 and my pencil and the paper, 502 00:24:23,630 --> 00:24:27,270 and I can make an extremely accurate tracing 503 00:24:27,270 --> 00:24:29,570 of this species. 504 00:24:29,570 --> 00:24:33,570 And the reason I do this, there are structures here 505 00:24:33,570 --> 00:24:36,600 that don't show up terribly well in a photograph. 506 00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:40,810 For example, the details of the sutures 507 00:24:40,810 --> 00:24:44,000 between some of the skeletal pieces 508 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:48,660 are almost invisible in a photograph. 509 00:24:48,660 --> 00:24:51,330 I might publish both a photograph 510 00:24:51,330 --> 00:24:54,090 and an illustration like this 511 00:24:54,090 --> 00:24:56,780 to show the important parts. 512 00:24:56,780 --> 00:25:04,600 And there you go. 513 00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:05,600 >> You ready to go? 514 00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:14,120 >> We're ready to go. 515 00:25:14,120 --> 00:25:16,030 >> NARRATOR: Much remains to be discovered 516 00:25:16,030 --> 00:25:19,720 about the seemingly strange and astonishing life forms 517 00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:21,870 of the deep sea. 518 00:25:21,870 --> 00:25:23,480 >> Look at that. 519 00:25:23,480 --> 00:25:25,420 This is the first time, as far as I know, 520 00:25:25,420 --> 00:25:28,270 that this has been observed. 521 00:25:28,270 --> 00:25:31,360 >> NARRATOR: These little-changed organisms 522 00:25:31,360 --> 00:25:36,360 provide a window into the earth's past. 523 00:25:36,360 --> 00:25:39,180 >> Crinoids are survivors. 524 00:25:39,180 --> 00:25:43,780 They are beautiful organisms that outlived the dinosaurs. 525 00:25:43,780 --> 00:25:47,870 And there's much to be learned by using both the rock record 526 00:25:47,870 --> 00:25:51,300 and the living record together 527 00:25:51,300 --> 00:25:53,540 to try to understand the evolution and ecology 528 00:25:53,540 --> 00:26:18,060 and history of a group of animals. 529 00:26:18,060 --> 00:26:22,390 >> Major funding for this program was provided by: 530 00:26:22,390 --> 00:26:25,750 Encouraging people to preserve and protect 531 00:26:25,750 --> 00:26:33,810 America's underwater resources. 532 00:26:33,810 --> 00:26:36,300 Inspiring the pursuit of tropical adventures 533 00:26:36,300 --> 00:26:38,720 and scuba diving. 534 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:43,720 And by the Do Unto Others Trust.