This lesson sets the scene for the whole deep-sea exploration unit. 71% of our blue planet is covered by ocean, with an average depth of 2.3 miles. At least 97% of our biosphere is in the ocean and it produces half the oxygen we breath. The oceans affect people’s food, safety, livelihoods, transport and access to resources, yet we know very little about the deep ocean – we have better maps of the moon! This lesson explores the importance of the ocean and introduces students to some of the strange creatures which inhabit the deep sea.