One of the largest studies of the ocean, published in the journal Science, has captured stunning images of the ocean's "invisible" creatures.
Tara Expeditions collected 35,000 samples which revealed a whole host of bacteria, viruses and single-celled organisms that they believe have never been seen before.
The trip cost around six million Euros (four million pounds) and took three years during which an international team visited 35 different countries.
Patrick Wincker, from Genoscope said: "This is the largest DNA sequencing effort ever done for ocean science: analyses revealed around 40 million genes, the vast majority of which are new to science, thus hinting towards a much broader biodiversity of plankton than previously known.“
READ MORE:
- Fragments of Paradise: Protecting the Biodiversity of Britain's Overseas Territories
- Plenty More Fish in the Sea: What is Being Done to Ensure Marine Sustainability?
- Scientists Discover Massive Hidden Ocean Under The United States
- The UK's Chance for an Ocean Legacy
- 'Strange Red Glowing Light' Spotted By Pilot Is An Unexplained Mystery
The wider purpose of the research is that it will better help scientists to chart how temperature fluctuations associated with climate change will impact the ocean.
Chris Bowler, from CNRS added: “The resources we’ve generated will allow us and others to delve even deeper, and finally begin to really understand the workings of this invisible world.”
Here's snapshot into this "invisible world:"