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Squids usually live for about 1 year

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Some squids live at the very bottom of the ocean and some live at the top of the ocean.

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Squids eat a varied diet depending on the species.they eat mainly marine life that can go up in size to a whale depending on the size of the squid.

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Yes are different sizes of squids there are small squids,big,medium and other sizes to there many sizes for squids to be.

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There are about 300 species

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Pink,purple,blue,red,black,gray,yellow,green and most of the squids can be any colour.

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There are about 13,000 squids in some of the oceans.

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1. Home

2. Ecosystems

3. Deep Sea

4. The Deep Sea

What Lives Here

Diversity

Research & Exploration

Census of Marine Life

Making Ocean Life Count

It seems like a herculean task to figure out what lives in something as vast as the ocean. But the 10-year-long Census of Marine Life project studied just that question. This network of scientists from more than 80 nations worked to document the diversity, distribution, and abundance of life in the oceans-past, present, and future. So far researchers have discovered more than 5,000 new species. And they expect to find many more as the research continues beyond the program's official end in 2010.

The Census explored ocean life from top to bottom, pole to pole, microbes to whales. Several field projects focused on deep ocean habitats-seamounts, hydrothermal vents, the ocean floor, and the waters around the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Project results continue to play a critical role in deciding how to manage this valuable global resource.

Ocean Drilling

Drilling Beneath the Ocean Floor

In Japanese Chikyu means "Earth" - and that's what this formidable research vessel, completed in 2005, was designed to study. It can drill up to 23,000 feet (7,000 meters) below the ocean floor to obtain sediments from Earth's crust. No other research ship has ever drilled that deep. The derrick holding the Chikyu's drill stands 328 feet (100 meters) high - the tallest in the world. It is the only ship in the world able to drill into earthquake zones. And one day, researchers hope, it will be the first ship to drill all the way to Earth's mantle.

The Chikyu is part of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), a marine research program supported by 24 countries. By collecting and analyzing sediments from below the seafloor, IODP is increasing our understanding of Earth's history, structure, and changing environment.

Tools & Technology

Technologies for Exploring the Deep

No place on Earth is as distant or as alien as the deep ocean. But we're now able to explore more and more parts of this remote realm-thanks to a new generation of incredible underwater vehicles.

Some vehicles-known as human occupied vehicles (HOVs)-carry scientists themselves to the deep sea to see firsthand what's there. Other kinds of unmanned craft let scientists see and study those places they can't go. For example, scientists can steer remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) from ships at the surface. A cable links the ships to the ROVs, limiting their mobility. Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) have no cable, but they need to be pre-programmed. A new breed of hybrid vehicles (HROVs) combines the best features of ROVs and AUVs: They can have a surface operator, or drop the cable and go it alone.

Smithsonian Collections

The Case of the Mystery Squid

But that wasn't the end of the story.

A few years later, researchers in deep-sea submersibles began spotting large and very strange squids. They had long spaghetti-like arms -- reaching 20 feet (7 meters) -- that bent like elbows. They were so unusual they were nicknamed "mystery squid" by Smithsonian and NOAA researcher Dr. Michael Vecchione.

Deep Ocean Corals

(Smithsonian Institution)

There are millions of animals in the Smithsonian collections. Many of the specimens-including these solitary corals-came from the deep ocean. Although they're now dead and colorless, they have a lot to teach us about life in the sea today.

For example, as a quick glance at the collection cards shows, deep ocean specimens tell us where and at what depths particular species live. By comparing specimens collected at different times, researchers measure variations in a species' form over time. Today they can even document changes in a species' genes by extracting DNA from dried tissues. And because the collections were built over many years, they reveal changes in deep sea diversity. As human activities continue to impact the ocean, this knowledge will help us manage this fragile ecosystem.

Scientists

Dr. Michael Vecchione, Deep Ocean Explorer

"Getting in the sub and diving is an awe-inspiring experience," says Dr. Michael Vecchione. "Every time we go down, we see something new."

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Home Ecosystems Deep Sea The Deep Sea Diversity Making Ocean Life Count It seems like a herculean task to figure out what lives in something as vast as the ocean. But the 10-year-long Census of Marine Life project studied just that question.