ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Tierney Thys - Marine biologist
Tierney Thys is a marine biologist and science educator. She studies the behavior of the Mola mola, or giant ocean sunfish -- and works with other scientists to make films that share the wonders they see.

Why you should listen

Marine biologist Tierney Thys has fallen head over heels for a big, goofy fish: the Mola mola, or giant ocean sunfish. In studying the mola -- where they go, what they eat, what eats them -- she's also hunting for clues to the behavior of all life in the open ocean. With their enormous, odd bodies, peaceful habits and lust for jellyfish, these giants can be key to understanding life in the open ocean. Thys and her team are tagging and tracking molas worldwide to learn about how they live, and how climate change may be affecting all ocean life.

Thys is a National Geographic Explorer with a passion for marine education. She was also past director of research at the Sea Studios Foundation, a team of scientists and filmmakers that makes media to raise awareness of environmental issues -- including the PBS series Strange Days on Planet Earth and targeted videos that influence policymakers and businesspeople. Sea Studios was also instrumental in helping eBay stop the trading of invasive species.

More profile about the speaker
Tierney Thys | Speaker | TED.com
Plankton Chronicles Project - Scientific research team
The Plankton Chronicles Project uses state-of-the-art optics to reveal the beauty and diversity of planktonic organisms. It was initiated by Christian Sardet, Noé Sardet and Sharif Mirshak.

Why you should listen

The Plankton Chronicles Project combines art and science, revealing the beauty and diversity of planktonic organisms. Plankton samples are collected and filmed at the Villefranche-sur-Mer Marine Station and on board the schooner Tara using dark field optics and macro lenses or microscopes equipped with HD SLR cameras. Christian Sardet from the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and Noé Sardet and Sharif Mirshak from Parafilms (Montreal) initiated the project in the context of the Tara Oceans expedition.

Plankton Chronicles are sponsored by the CNRS, the Pierre et Marie Curie University in Paris (UPMC) and the Groupement d'Interet Scientifique IBISA.

More profile about the speaker
Plankton Chronicles Project | Speaker | TED.com
TED-Ed

Tierney Thys and Plankton Chronicles Project: The secret life of plankton

Tierney Thys + Plankton Chronicles Project: The secret life of plankton

Filmed:
1,440,282 views

New videography techniques have opened up the oceans' microscopic ecosystem, revealing it to be both mesmerizingly beautiful and astoundingly complex. Explore this hidden world that underpins our own food chain -- in the first-ever TEDTalk given by a fish ...
- Marine biologist
Tierney Thys is a marine biologist and science educator. She studies the behavior of the Mola mola, or giant ocean sunfish -- and works with other scientists to make films that share the wonders they see. Full bio - Scientific research team
The Plankton Chronicles Project uses state-of-the-art optics to reveal the beauty and diversity of planktonic organisms. It was initiated by Christian Sardet, Noé Sardet and Sharif Mirshak. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

(Musique)
00:30
[StoriesHistoires from the SeaMer]
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« Histoires de la mer »
« Conte de poissons : ma vie secrète de plancton »
00:34
[FishPoisson TaleTale
My SecretSecret Life as PlanktonPlancton]
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(Musique)
Comment suis-je arrivé ici ?
00:42
How did I get here?
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00:45
Well, it's a strangerétranger storyrécit
than you mightpourrait think.
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Eh bien, c'est une histoire plus étrange que vous ne le pensez.
00:50
I camevenu from a worldmonde of driftersbouées dérivantes,
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Je viens d'un monde de dérivants,
00:53
a placeendroit fewpeu humanshumains have ever seenvu.
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un endroit que peu d'humains ont déjà vu.
Le monde du plancton.
00:56
The worldmonde of planktonplancton.
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01:00
I camevenu from a batchlot of a millionmillion eggsoeufs,
and only a fewpeu of us survivedsurvécu.
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Je viens d'un lot de 1 million de œufs,
et seuls quelques-uns d'entre nous ont survécu.
01:08
When I becamedevenu a larvalarve,
I moveddéplacé amongparmi other driftersbouées dérivantes.
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Lorsque je suis devenu une larve,
je me déplaçais parmi d'autres dérivants.
01:12
["PlanktonPlancton" comesvient from the GreekGrec
"planktosPlanktos" for wanderingerrance]
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« Plancton vient du grec planktos qui signifie errant »
01:21
My fellowcompagnon planktonplancton camevenu in all sizestailles,
from tinyminuscule algaealgues and bacteriades bactéries
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Mes collègues planctons étaient de toutes les tailles,
des bactéries et des algues minuscules
01:26
to animalsanimaux longerplus long than a bluebleu whalebaleine.
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aux animaux plus longs d'une baleine bleue.
J'ai partagé ma pouponnière
01:33
I sharedpartagé my nurserypépinière
with other embryosembryons and juvenilesjuvéniles,
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avec d'autres embryons et d'autres jeunes,
01:38
from clamspalourdes and crabsCrabes
to seamer urchinsoursins and anemonesanémones.
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des palourdes et des crabes
aux oursins et aux anémones.
(Bruit de plancton)
01:45
(HighHaute pitchpas sounddu son)
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01:46
We driftingà la dérive animalsanimaux
are calledappelé zooplanktonzooplancton.
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Nous, les animaux dérivants,
on nous appelle zooplancton.
01:51
The mostles plus commoncommun animalsanimaux here
are copepodscopépodes and krillkrill.
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Les animaux les plus communs ici
sont des copépodes et du krill.
01:56
(BuzzingBourdonnement)
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Vous pouvez chercher dans le monde entier,
01:59
You could searchchercher the worldmonde over,
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02:01
but you'dtu aurais never find a placeendroit
more diversediverse than my childhoodenfance home.
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mais vous ne trouverez jamais un endroit
plus divers que la maison de mon enfance.
02:06
A teaspooncuillère à café of seawatereau de mer
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Une cuillère à café d'eau de mer
02:08
can containcontenir more
than a millionmillion livingvivant creaturescréatures.
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peut contenir plus d'un million de créatures vivantes.
C'est une existence qui peut être assez difficile, cependant.
02:14
It can be a prettyjoli toughdure
existenceexistence, thoughbien que.
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02:17
TrillionsBillions are bornnée here,
but only a fewpeu make it to adulthoodâge adulte.
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Des milliards naissent ici,
mais seuls quelques-uns arrivent à l'âge adulte.
Il n'est peut-être pas plus grand
qu'une tête d'épingle,
02:27
He maymai be no largerplus grand than a pinépingle headtête,
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02:29
but this crabcrabe larvalarve
is an arrowflèche worm'sde ver worstpire nightmarecauchemar.
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mais cette larve de crabe
est le pire cauchemar d'un ver flèche.
02:35
(BumpingSe cogner noisesdes bruits)
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(Bruits de plancton)
02:45
(BuzzingBourdonnement)
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02:48
EpicÉpopée battlesbatailles betweenentre carnivorescarnivores
like these are just one way to get foodaliments.
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Des batailles épiques entre carnivores comme
ceux-ci sont un des moyens d'obtenir de la nourriture.
02:54
But the realréal powerspouvoirs
of this placeendroit come from phytoplanktonphytoplancton.
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Mais les pouvoirs réels de cet endroit
proviennent du phytoplancton :
une vie unicellulaire
03:00
Single-celledSimple-celled life
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qui transforme la lumière du soleil
et le dioxyde de carbone
03:01
that transformsse transforme sunlightlumière du soleil
and carboncarbone dioxidedioxyde
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03:04
into ediblecomestibles goldor.
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en or comestible.
03:13
PhytoplanktonPhytoplancton are the basebase
for the largestplus grand foodaliments webweb in the worldmonde.
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Le phytoplancton est la base
du plus grand réseau trophique du monde.
03:19
DuringAu cours de the night,
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Pendant la nuit,
03:21
manybeaucoup animalsanimaux like me
would riseaugmenter up from the depthsprofondeurs
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beaucoup d'animaux comme moi
sortent des profondeurs
03:24
to feedalimentation on this sun-poweredsoleil-powered feastfête.
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pour se nourrir de cette fête alimentée par le soleil.
(Bruits de plancton)
03:28
(MaracaMaraca sounddu son)
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03:31
I was partpartie of the largestplus grand dailydu quotidien
migrationmigration of life on EarthTerre.
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Je faisais partie de la plus grande migration
quotidienne de la vie sur terre.
03:38
DuringAu cours de the day,
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Pendant la journée,
03:39
I'd returnrevenir to the darknessobscurité,
where I'd joinjoindre my bizarrebizarre companionscompagnons.
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je retournais à l'obscurité, où je rejoignais
mes compagnons bizarres.
(Bruits de plancton)
03:45
(HighHaute pitchpas buzzBuzz)
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03:47
(FlappingBattement noisesdes bruits)
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03:48
CannibalsCannibales, like this
seamer butterflypapillon molluskmollusque,
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Des cannibales, comme ce mollusque papillon de mer,
03:51
that eatsmange its nextprochain of kinKin.
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qui mange ses proches.
03:57
And combpeigne jelliesgelées,
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Et les cténophores,
03:59
that beatbattre ciliacils like rainbowedrainbowed eyelashescils.
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qui battent des cils comme des cils arc-en-ciel.
04:08
Some of these snarecaisse claire
theirleur preyproie with stickygluant tentaclestentacules,
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Certains d'entre eux enserrent leurs proies
avec des tentacules collantes,
04:12
while othersautres just take
a bitemordre out of theirleur cousinsles cousins.
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alors que d'autres se contentent de mordre leurs cousins.
04:18
And siphonophoressiphonophores
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Et les siphonophores
04:19
that catchcapture preyproie with toxictoxique fishingpêche luresleurres.
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qui attrape les proies avec des leurres de pêche toxiques.
04:28
But my favoritepréféré would have
to be the crustaceancrustacé PhronimaPhronima.
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Mais mon préféré est le crustacé Phronima ;
04:33
Its monstrousmonstrueux looksregards inspiredinspiré
the moviefilm "AliensÉtrangers."
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son aspect monstrueux a inspiré le film « Alien ».
04:38
It can catchcapture tinyminuscule bitsmorceaux in its bristlessoies,
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Il peut attraper des petits morceaux dans ses poils,
04:41
but preferspréfère largerplus grand preyproie like salpssalpes.
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mais préfère les grosses proies comme les salpes.
04:47
With two setsensembles of eyesles yeux,
this femalefemelle prowlsrôde the deeperPlus profond watereau.
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Avec deux paires d'yeux, cette femelle rôde
dans les eaux profondes.
04:54
PreyProie in handmain,
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Proie en main,
04:56
she performseffectue one
of the strangestplus étrange behaviorscomportements
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elle exécute l'un des plus étranges comportements
du règne animal.
04:58
in the entiretout animalanimal kingdomRoyaume.
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05:03
With bodycorps partsles pièces from her victimsles victimes,
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Avec les parties du corps de ses victimes,
05:06
she delicatelydélicatement assemblesassemble
a barrel-likebaril-comme home
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elle assemble délicatement un nid en forme de canon
05:09
feedingalimentation her youngJeune untiljusqu'à they can driftdérive off
and survivesurvivre on theirleur ownposséder.
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et nourrit ses petits jusqu'à ce qu'ils puissent
dériver au large et survivre seuls.
05:17
BestMeilleur of all, they make the perfectparfait
snacksnack for a smallpetit fishpoisson like me.
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Mieux encore, ils représentent la collation idéale
pour un petit poisson comme moi.
05:25
Here amongparmi the planktonplancton,
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Ici chez le plancton,
05:27
the foodaliments webweb is so tangledemmêlés and complexcomplexe,
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le réseau trophique
est tellement emmêlé et complexe,
05:31
even scientistsscientifiques don't know who eatsmange whomqui.
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même les scientifiques ne savent pas qui mange qui.
Mais moi si.
05:36
But I do.
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05:41
At leastmoins now you know a bitbit of my storyrécit.
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Au moins maintenant vous connaissez
un peu de mon histoire.
05:45
There's so much more to me
than just a tastysavoureux mealrepas.
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Je suis tellement plus qu'un repas savoureux.
Ecrit par : Tierney Thys & Christian Sardet
Narration : Kirk Lombard
Animation : Noe Sardet
Translated by Elisabeth Buffard
Reviewed by Anna Cristiana Minoli

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ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Tierney Thys - Marine biologist
Tierney Thys is a marine biologist and science educator. She studies the behavior of the Mola mola, or giant ocean sunfish -- and works with other scientists to make films that share the wonders they see.

Why you should listen

Marine biologist Tierney Thys has fallen head over heels for a big, goofy fish: the Mola mola, or giant ocean sunfish. In studying the mola -- where they go, what they eat, what eats them -- she's also hunting for clues to the behavior of all life in the open ocean. With their enormous, odd bodies, peaceful habits and lust for jellyfish, these giants can be key to understanding life in the open ocean. Thys and her team are tagging and tracking molas worldwide to learn about how they live, and how climate change may be affecting all ocean life.

Thys is a National Geographic Explorer with a passion for marine education. She was also past director of research at the Sea Studios Foundation, a team of scientists and filmmakers that makes media to raise awareness of environmental issues -- including the PBS series Strange Days on Planet Earth and targeted videos that influence policymakers and businesspeople. Sea Studios was also instrumental in helping eBay stop the trading of invasive species.

More profile about the speaker
Tierney Thys | Speaker | TED.com
Plankton Chronicles Project - Scientific research team
The Plankton Chronicles Project uses state-of-the-art optics to reveal the beauty and diversity of planktonic organisms. It was initiated by Christian Sardet, Noé Sardet and Sharif Mirshak.

Why you should listen

The Plankton Chronicles Project combines art and science, revealing the beauty and diversity of planktonic organisms. Plankton samples are collected and filmed at the Villefranche-sur-Mer Marine Station and on board the schooner Tara using dark field optics and macro lenses or microscopes equipped with HD SLR cameras. Christian Sardet from the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and Noé Sardet and Sharif Mirshak from Parafilms (Montreal) initiated the project in the context of the Tara Oceans expedition.

Plankton Chronicles are sponsored by the CNRS, the Pierre et Marie Curie University in Paris (UPMC) and the Groupement d'Interet Scientifique IBISA.

More profile about the speaker
Plankton Chronicles Project | Speaker | TED.com