Lying off the eastern coast of the Philippines is an underwater canyon so deep that you could hide Mount Everest in it with more than 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) to spare. In perpetual darkness, and faced with incredible pressure, it’s easy to imagine that the Mariana Trench is one of the most inhospitable places on Earth. And yet, somehow life still manages to not only cling on, but flourish, forming its very own unique ecosystem.
From the cold to the never-ending darkness and the unimaginable pressure, life in the deep is by no means easy. Some creatures, such as the dragonfish, produce their own light in order to attract prey, mates, or both. Others like the hatchet fish have evolved enormous eyes in order to try and catch as much of the scarce light that makes it that deep. Some creatures simply try and be avoided, which normally means either becoming translucent or red, because this absorbs any blue light that has managed to make its way down to the depths.
