Aliens of the Deep
Encyclopedia
Aliens of the Deep is a 2005 documentary film
, directed in part by James Cameron
alongside fellow cameraman Steven Quale, who would later go on to direct Final Destination 5
six years later, and filmed in the IMAX 3D format. It was produced by Walden Media
and Walt Disney Pictures
. Cameron teams with NASA
scientists to explore the Mid-Ocean Ridge
s, submerged chains of mountains in the Atlantic
and Pacific
oceans that are home to some of the planet's more unusual forms of life.
with a group of NASA
scientists, as well as some American marine biologists, to investigate ten hydrothermal vent
s in both the Atlantic and Pacific. The vents have their own unique ecosystem
, which support diverse organism
s such as giant tube worm
s, swarms of blind white crab
s, and vast amounts of shrimp
which are capable of "seeing" water that is heated by the vents. These creatures do not require sunlight
like other organisms, and instead obtain their energy from the vents. They are able to survive in the superheated and sulfur
ous water. Because of this, the documentary suggests that this is what life beyond Earth
might look like. As some alien
ecosystems are likely to be a lot harsher than a typical terrestrial
ecosystem, these exotic vents provide an insight into some of the forms that alien life might take.
The documentary shows Cameron's passion for exploring the oceans, as well as his interest in extraterrestrial life. It also showcases the technology employed to reach such depths.
The film is similar to Cameron's earlier documentary, Ghosts of the Abyss
(2003), which involves him journeying to the wreck of the RMS Titanic. It too was filmed in the 3-D IMAX format.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
, directed in part by James Cameron
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...
alongside fellow cameraman Steven Quale, who would later go on to direct Final Destination 5
Final Destination 5
Final Destination 5 is a 2011 supernatural horror film written by Eric Heisserer and directed by Steven Quale. It is the fifth installment in the Final Destination film franchise and stars Nicholas D'Agosto, Emma Bell, Miles Fisher, Arlen Escarpeta, David Koechner, and Tony Todd .The motion...
six years later, and filmed in the IMAX 3D format. It was produced by Walden Media
Walden Media
Walden Media is a children's film production and publishing company best known as the producers of The Chronicles of Narnia series. Its films are based on notable classic or award-winning children's literature, compelling biographies or historical events, documentaries and some original...
and Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
. Cameron teams with NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
scientists to explore the Mid-Ocean Ridge
Mid-ocean ridge
A mid-ocean ridge is a general term for an underwater mountain system that consists of various mountain ranges , typically having a valley known as a rift running along its spine, formed by plate tectonics. This type of oceanic ridge is characteristic of what is known as an oceanic spreading...
s, submerged chains of mountains in the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
oceans that are home to some of the planet's more unusual forms of life.
Synopsis
Cameron joins up aboard the Russian research vessel Akademik Mstislav KeldyshAkademik Mstislav Keldysh
The R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh is a 6,240 ton Russian scientific research vessel. It is best known as the support vessel of the Mir submersibles. The vessel has made over 50 voyages, is owned by the Moscow-based Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Science and is...
with a group of NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
scientists, as well as some American marine biologists, to investigate ten hydrothermal vent
Hydrothermal vent
A hydrothermal vent is a fissure in a planet's surface from which geothermally heated water issues. Hydrothermal vents are commonly found near volcanically active places, areas where tectonic plates are moving apart, ocean basins, and hotspots. Hydrothermal vents exist because the earth is both...
s in both the Atlantic and Pacific. The vents have their own unique ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
, which support diverse organism
Organism
In biology, an organism is any contiguous living system . In at least some form, all organisms are capable of response to stimuli, reproduction, growth and development, and maintenance of homoeostasis as a stable whole.An organism may either be unicellular or, as in the case of humans, comprise...
s such as giant tube worm
Giant tube worm
Giant tube worms, Riftia pachyptila, are marine invertebrates in the phylum Annelida related to tube worms commonly found in the intertidal and pelagic zones...
s, swarms of blind white crab
Crab
True crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax...
s, and vast amounts of shrimp
Shrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
which are capable of "seeing" water that is heated by the vents. These creatures do not require sunlight
Sunlight
Sunlight, in the broad sense, is the total frequency spectrum of electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun. On Earth, sunlight is filtered through the Earth's atmosphere, and solar radiation is obvious as daylight when the Sun is above the horizon.When the direct solar radiation is not blocked...
like other organisms, and instead obtain their energy from the vents. They are able to survive in the superheated and sulfur
Sulfur
Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...
ous water. Because of this, the documentary suggests that this is what life beyond Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
might look like. As some alien
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
ecosystems are likely to be a lot harsher than a typical terrestrial
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
ecosystem, these exotic vents provide an insight into some of the forms that alien life might take.
The documentary shows Cameron's passion for exploring the oceans, as well as his interest in extraterrestrial life. It also showcases the technology employed to reach such depths.
The film is similar to Cameron's earlier documentary, Ghosts of the Abyss
Ghosts of the Abyss
Ghosts of the Abyss is a 2003 documentary film released by Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media. It was Disney's first film produced in 3-D and was directed by Academy Award winning filmmaker James Cameron after his Oscar winning film Titanic...
(2003), which involves him journeying to the wreck of the RMS Titanic. It too was filmed in the 3-D IMAX format.