The very deepest place in the ocean is being recorded on camera for the first time, with some remarkable results.
The Mariana Trench is 11 kilometres below the surface of the Pacific Ocean.
Until now, the creatures that live there have been virtually unknown -- strange, abstract shapes.
Even seasoned scientists can't contain their joy. We know much more about space than we do about the depths of the world's oceans.
The images coming every day from research ship the Okeanos Explorer will be a treasure trove for marine scientists.
It means scientists can engage with what's going on in an alien world.
Down deep, the robotic probes don't just tell us about new wildlife. Even in this remote place, the impacts of humans on the Earth are clear.
The sheer amount of information coming back from the expedition is unprecedented. For the first time, scientists can look at the everyday lives of things that live in the deep ocean.
The Okeanos Explorer and its robotic probes will keep broadcasting live images until July 10. Who knows what creatures it will find lurking, in the ocean's epic darkness?
ITV News
