Australian Scientists Gather Nightmarish Creatures From Deep Sea

Two miles beneath the surface of the ocean is the abyssal zone -- waters so deep that light does not touch it any more. In this part of the Earth, there is little that humans know. However, Australian scientists were able to gather some creatures from the seafloor. These are not exactly friends of the Little Mermaid.

A team of researchers from Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization explored the deep seas off Australia's east coast in an expedition. Discover Magazine noted that in the team's daily dispatches, it was able to detail results of its research. The team saw images of animals that looked like they were made of stuff from nightmares. Among these animals included glowing starfish, toothy predators and even slender-stalked crinoids.

Because of the stark differences between the conditions of the ocean's surface and deep sea creatures, the latter looked malformed and disfigured. However, they are actually very well adapted to their unique environment.

One of the most iconic creatures from the deep sea includes the viperfish. With wicked fangs and stretchable mouths, they could be terrifying. However, they are tiny enough for humans to hold in the palm of their hands.

The Washington Post noted that raising these creatures could take some advanced form of technology to overcome their environmental hurdles. Scientists were able to pull up over a thousand sea creatures from the deep sea. Each of them will have to be studied and cataloged in the coming months.

No matter how horrifying these animals seem, however, there is something more alarming than the nightmarish deep sea creatures. It is trash.

Chief Scientist Tim O'Hara said in a news release that they found "highly concerning levels of rubbish" 100 kilometers off the coast. He said that the team "found PVC pipes, cans of paints, bottles, beer cans, wood chips and other debris from the days when steamships plied our waters. The seafloor has 200 years of rubbish on it."