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				Shark Trackers Overcoming his fears, Alan places a radio transmitter on a 13-foot tiger shark, and learns that these creatures need to swim to breathe.
		Select text to jump ahead in the clip: Alda: THE BALMY WATERS OF HAWAII. TOURISTS BY THE TENS OF THOUSANDS SPLASH IN THESE WAVES EVERY YEAR WHILE JUST BELOW THEM GLIDE HUNDREDS, PERHAPS THOUSANDS OF THE DEADLIEST KILLERS IN THE OCEAN. EVERY NOW AND THEN, SHARK AND HUMAN MEET. THIS MORNING, A B. Y.U. STUDENT WAS ATTACKED BY A SHARK WHILE SURFING. Alda: AS PREDICTABLE AS THE BREATHLESS MEDIA COVERAGE ARE CALLS FOR SHARK-CONTROL PROGRAMS THAT WOULD LITERALLY FISH THE KILLERS OUT OF HAWAII'S COASTAL WATERS. WHICH IS WHY THIS UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII RESEARCH VESSEL REGULARLY SETS OUT FROM HONOLULU HARBOR. Man: YOU CAN ACTUALLY DICTATE THE SIZE OF SHARK YOU CATCH BY THE SIZE OF THE BAITS YOU USE. SO A GOOD BIG TUNA HEAD, NICE AND BLOODY, JUST WHAT WE NEED. Alda: KIM HOLLAND AND A TEAM OF GRADUATE STUDENTS ARE BAITING LINES TO CATCH TIGER SHARKS-- THE SPECIES THAT POSES THE GREATEST THREAT TO HAWAII'S HUMANS. Holland: THAT'S A TASTY MORSEL. Alda: BUT THE TEAM ISN'T FISHING FOR SHARKS IN ORDER TO CONTROL THEM. THEY'RE ON A RESEARCH MISSION TO FIND OUT IF TIGER SHARKS CAN BE CONTROLLED AND WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES OF KILLING THEM MIGHT BE. THE BAITED HOOKS ARE LEFT OUT OVERNIGHT. WHEN MORNING COMES THE RESEARCH CREW GETS AN EXTRA HAND FOR THE DAY. Holland: OKAY, ALAN, DO IT. OH, MAN, YOU'VE DONE THIS BEFORE. Alda: AS WE HEADED FOR THE FIRST LINE OF HOOKS I ASKED A QUESTION I'VE ALWAYS WANTED THE ANSWER TO. Alda: IS THERE ANY EVIDENCE AT ALL THAT THERE'S SUCH A THING AS A KILLER SHARK A SHARK THAT GOES AFTER HUMANS? NO... IN TERMS OF THE TIGER SHARKS AND AS FAR AS I KNOW WITH OTHER SPECIES OF SHARK THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF THAT WHATSOEVER. SHARKS EVOLVED IN THE OCEAN, MAN DID NOT. IF THEY'D HAVE EVOLVED EATING MAN THEY WOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN VERY FAR BECAUSE UNTIL THE TOURIST INDUSTRY HIT THERE WASN'T VERY MANY PEOPLE IN THE WATER. YOU CAN'T MAKE A LIVING EATING SOMETHING WHICH IS NOT IN YOUR REALM. WHAT ABOUT IF A SHARK... BITES A HUMAN? WHICH DOESN'T HAPPEN VERY OFTEN. HOW OFTEN DOES IT HAPPEN? IN HAWAII, IT ONLY HAPPENS MAYBE TWICE A YEAR AND WHEN YOU THINK OF HOW MANY PEOPLE THERE ARE IN THE WATER ALL YEAR ROUND AND HOW MANY SHARKS THERE ARE... AND HOW MANY SHARKS ARE THERE IN THE WATER. THERE'S A LOT OF SHARKS BECAUSE WE CATCH SHARKS ALL THE TIME. WITH ALL OF THOSE SHARKS THERE ARE ONLY ONE OR TWO BITES A YEAR. NOW, HOW MANY OF THOSE BITES ARE FATAL? IN HAWAII IN THE LAST 30 YEARS ONLY THREE ATTACKS HAVE BEEN FATAL. Alda: ALL THAT DIDN'T SOUND SO BAD. AND THE FIRST SHARK WE HAULED IN LOOKED REASSURINGLY HARMLESS ESPECIALLY WHEN KIM ROLLED IT ONTO ITS BACK. Holland: IF YOU TURN IT OVER LIKE THIS THESE FISH GO INTO WHAT WE KNOW AS TONIC IMMOBILITY. SO EVEN IF THIS FISH WASN'T VERY TIRED IT WOULD BASICALLY GO TO SLEEP IN THIS POSITION. ON THE NOSE. Alda: IT WAS A FIVE-FOOT-LONG SANDBAR SHARK-- NOT A SPECIES MUCH GIVEN TO BITING HUMANS. WHAT CARL IS DOING VERY CAREFULLY NOW IS TAKING THAT HOOK OUT AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO LET HER GO. Alda: IS THERE ANY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THESE SMALLER SHARKS AND THE TIGER SHARKS? ONE THING WE DO KNOW ABOUT TIGER SHARKS IS ONE OF THEIR MAIN FOODS IS SMALLER SHARKS. SO IF YOU KILL THE LARGE SHARKS THE NUMBER OF MEDIUM AND SMALL SHARKS WILL PROBABLY INCREASE. THEIR FOOD IS FREQUENTLY THE COMMERCIALLY IMPORTANT FISHES. SO BY AFFECTING THE TOP PREDATOR YOU MAY END UP PERTURBING THE ECOSYSTEM SUCH THAT THE COMMERCIALLY VALUABLE FISH WILL DECREASE IN NUMBERS. Alda: SO TRYING TO RID HAWAIIAN WATERS OF TIGER SHARKS COULD REDUCE THE POPULATIONS OF FISH HAWAII AND ITS TOURISTS LIKE TO EAT. IT WAS BEGINNING TO SOUND AS IF TIGER SHARKS DON'T DESERVE THEIR REPUTATION. OF COURSE, I'D YET TO MEET ONE. Holland: OKAY... WE GOT A TIGER SHARK. GOOD. ( laughs ) AND IT'S ALIVE, AND IT'S A MEDIUM-SIZE ONE. HERE IT COMES RIGHT NOW IN THE WATER BEHIND US. WELL, THAT'S A BIG ONE. HOW LONG DO YOU THINK HE IS? THAT'S ABOUT A 13-FOOT-LONG SHARK. 13 FEET... AND WOULD YOU SAY HE'S TIRED? HE'S JUST THE WAY WE LIKE HIM. HE'S STILL OBVIOUSLY VERY HEALTHY BUT VERY TIRED SO WE CAN WORK WITH HIM, PUT A TRANSMITTER ON HIM AND LET HIM GO. HE'S SAFE, WE'RE SAFE, WE GET WHAT WE NEED. THIS IS JUST THE WAY WE LIKE THEM. LET ME ASK YOU A SERIOUS QUESTION HERE. WHEN THE SHARK HAS THAT HOOK IN ITS MOUTH IS IT JUST AS ABLE TO BITE AS WITHOUT THE HOOK? NO. AND THE OTHER THING TO REALIZE IS THAT SHARKS DON'T USE THEIR MOUTHS FOR DEFENSE OR FOR AGGRESSION. THEIR MOUTHS ARE FOR FEEDING. SO IT'S NOT LIKE A DOG THAT IS CORNERED. THESE ANIMALS DON'T THINK ABOUT TAKING THEIR VENGEANCE OUT OR BEING SO FRIGHTENED THEY COME AND BITE YOU. ALL THIS SHARK WANTS TO DO IS GET THAT HOOK OUT OF HIS MOUTH AND GO ABOUT ITS BUSINESS. Alda: AND IT WAS FINALLY TIME TO GO ABOUT OUR BUSINESS WHICH WAS TO TAG THE TIGER SHARK WITH A RADIO TRANSMITTER SO THAT WE COULD TRACK IT. KILLING THE TIGER SHARKS AROUND HAWAII'S BEACHES WOULD CONTROL THE THREAT THEY POSE ONLY IF THEY DON'T TRAVEL VERY FAR. AND UNTIL THIS RESEARCH PROJECT NO ONE HAS KNOWN HOW FAR TIGER SHARKS ROAM. IT WAS TIME TO MEET THE TIGER FACE-TO-FACE. Alda: THAT'S A GIGANTIC HEAD ON THIS SHARK. YES, LOOKS LIKE A BIG TADPOLE. IT'S DOING WHAT? IT'S BITING THE BOAT. IT'S BITING THE BOAT? THAT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE WHAT YOU SAID BEFORE ABOUT NOT BITING THINGS THAT AREN'T FOOD. THAT'S THE GREAT THING ABOUT SCIENCE IS IT'S A WORLD OF DISCOVERY. Alda: LIKE THE LITTLE SANDBAR SHARK THIS ONE WAS SUPPOSED TO GO INTO A TRANCE WHEN BELLY UP. YOU HAD HER OVER ON HER BELLY. HOW LONG DO YOU HAVE TO KEEP HER ON HER BELLY FOR THIS EFFECT TO TAKE PLACE? IT VARIES, BUT USUALLY JUST THREE OR FOUR MINUTES AND SHE'LL GO QUIET. OH, I THOUGHT IT WAS A COUPLE OF SECONDS. NO, WELL, IT DEPENDS... SOMETIMES IT CAN BE. THERE SHE'S GOING NOW. OKAY? SEE THERE, SHE'S... SHE'S GONE NOW. AS LONG AS WE CAN KEEP HER BELLY UP, SHE'LL BE ALL RIGHT. HERE, RUB HER TUMMY. DOES IT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE IF YOU RUB HER TUMMY? DOES THAT HELP HER QUIET DOWN? I DON'T KNOW, BUT YOU KNOW IT'S A VERY, VERY COMMON PHENOMENON IN ALL VERTEBRATES THAT... OH, GEE. OH, BOY, THAT'S WHY I'M... NOW I'M PLAYING THE PART OF RICHARD DREYFUSS. WHAT, IS HE BUSY TODAY? IF YOU'D LIKE TO, AFTER BRAD MAKES THIS... Alda: AFTER THEY'D MADE THE SHARK REALLY MAD BY STICKING A KNIFE IN HER SKIN, I GOT THE PRIVILEGE OF IMPLANTING THE RADIO TRANSMITTER. YOU'RE WELCOME TO PUT IT ON. HERE'S THE TRANSMITTER. WHAT DO I DO WITH THIS? WE PUT IT RIGHT IN THAT INCISION ON THE BACK OF THE SHARK. RIGHT THERE, THAT'S IT. RIGHT IN THAT HOLE-- PUSH. BEAUTIFUL. GIVE IT A KNOCK, ONE MORE KNOCK. THERE YOU GO, A LITTLE BIT MORE. PERFECT. THERE IT IS, RIGHT THERE. THERE'S THE TRANSMITTER IN PLACE AND WE CAN FOLLOW HER WHEREVER SHE GOES. BECAUSE IT'S A DEPTH- SENSITIVE TRANSMITTER WE NOT ONLY KNOW WHERE SHE'S GOING SIDEWAYS BUT HOW DEEP SHE IS WHETHER SHE'S NEAR THE SURFACE, NEAR THE BOTTOM. THAT'S PERFECT, YOU SHOULD DO THIS FOR A LIVING. NO, I SHOULDN'T EVEN DO THIS FOR A LIVING. Alda: THE SHARK AND I WEREN'T UNHAPPY TO SEE EACH OTHER GO. NOW CAME THE EASY PART. KIM LOWERED A DIRECTIONAL ANTENNA BELOW THE BOAT. Holland: OKAY, IF YOU JUST WAG THE NOSE WE SHOULD START PICKING UP THE SIGNAL. THERE IT IS. THAT'S OUR FISH-- THAT'S THE TRANSMITTER. AND IT'S AT THE SURFACE BECAUSE IT'S VERY STEADY, ONCE PER SECOND. IF IT WAS DEEPER, IT WOULD BE FASTER. SO OUR FISH IS NOW DEAD AHEAD OF US AT THE SURFACE. OKAY, THIS FISH IS DOING ABOUT A 100-DEGREE COURSE RIGHT NOW WHICH WILL TAKE US RIGHT OFF THE TIP OF DIAMOND HEAD WHICH IS A VERY FAMILIAR THEME FOR US. THREE OR FOUR OF THE PREVIOUS SHARKS WE TRACKED HAVE COME ALONG EXACTLY THIS PATH-- CUT OFF THE TIP OF DIAMOND HEAD AND THEN STRIKE OUT INTO BLUE WATER BETWEEN HERE AND THE NEXT ISLAND OF MOLOKAI. Alda: TYPICALLY, KIM AND HIS TEAM STAY ON THE TRAIL OF A SHARK FOR AS LONG AS THE BATTERIES IN ITS TRANSMITTER LAST-- ABOUT 48 HOURS. THEY'VE TRACKED ABOUT A DOZEN SHARKS SO FAR AND EVERY ONE HAS WANDERED FAR AWAY FROM WHERE IT WAS CAUGHT. THIS WAS A BIG SURPRISE AND BAD NEWS FOR ADVOCATES OF SHARK CONTROL. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THERE WAS A REALLY BAD ATTACK HERE BY A SHARK AND PEOPLE WENT OUT IN BOATS AND KILLED ALL THE TIGER SHARKS THEY COULD? WHAT EFFECT WOULD THAT HAVE? IT PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE ANY EFFECT ON THE NUMBER OF SHARK ATTACKS ON PEOPLE THE REASON BEING THAT WE'RE SHOWING THAT THESE FISH MOVE MUCH GREATER DISTANCES THAN WE ANTICIPATED AND THAT MEANS IF YOU TAKE OUT SOME SHARKS FROM ONE BEACH THEY COULD VERY EASILY BE INFILLED BY OTHER SHARKS COMING FROM 30, 40, 50 MILES AWAY. SO AT THIS POINT, IT LOOKS AS THOUGH IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO HAVE A SURGICAL STRIKE. OKAY, LOOK, LOOK A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T CARE IF THERE ARE FEWER SHARKS. I MEAN, I... I THINK SOME... SOME OF US THINK OF THEM LIKE RATS. IF THERE WERE A FEW LESS RATS, IT WOULDN'T... IT WOULDN'T HURT. WHAT... WHAT... WHAT PLACE IN OUR LIVES DO THEY HOLD? WHY SHOULD I CARE IF THE TIGER SHARK DISAPPEARS OR NOT? THE PROLIFERATION OF RATS IS A MAN-MADE PHENOMENON. THEY LIVE IN TOWNS AND CITIES THAT WE'VE CREATED. TIGER SHARKS LIVE IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHICH IS STILL ESSENTIALLY UNCHANGED AND AS SUCH, THEY'RE IN BALANCE WITH THEIR ENVIRONMENT AND THE BALANCE BETWEEN THEM AND THE FOOD THAT THEY EAT AND THE FOOD THAT THEIR FOOD EATS IS STILL PRETTY MUCH THE WAY WE THINK IT EVOLVED OVER EVOLUTION. AND SO BY PERTURBING THE SYSTEM BY TAKING OUT THE BIG SHARKS YOU WILL ACTUALLY HAVE AN EFFECT ALL THE WAY DOWN THROUGH THE FOOD CHAIN. Alda: THE TIGER SHARK IS JUST ONE OF 19 SHARK SPECIES THAT LIVE AROUND HAWAII. ALL HAVE THEIR MYSTERIES BUT NONE IS STRANGER THAN THIS ONE-- THE HAMMERHEAD SHARK. A DAY AFTER WRESTLING TIGER SHARKS I JOINED KIM AND HIS STUDENT CHRIS LOWE IN OAHU'S PEACEFUL KANEOHE BAY, FISHING FOR BABY HAMMERHEADS. THAT'S A LITTLE GUY. THAT'S THE MOST COMMON TOP-LEVEL PREDATOR IN THE BAY. THERE'S THOUSANDS OF THOSE PUPS OF THIS SIZE IN THIS BAY. WE'RE GOING TO DROP IT IN THE TANK AND WE CAN JUST RUN A COUPLE OF HUNDRED YARDS BACK TO THE LAB AND WE'VE GOT OUR FISH. HOW BIG DO THEY GET TO BE? AN ADULT SCALLOPED HAMMERHEAD WOULD BE ABOUT 14 FEET AS AN ADULT. 14 FEET, SO THESE GUYS ARE REALLY LITTLE. THEY'RE YOUNG, HUH? THESE ARE NEONATAL PUPS. THEY'VE ONLY BEEN BORN MAYBE... THE BIGGEST ONE MAYBE THREE OR FOUR OR FIVE WEEKS AGO AND THE SMALLEST ONES MAYBE A FEW DAYS AGO. Alda: OKAY, NOW, LOOK-- THIS IS THE MOST INTERESTING- LOOKING FISH I'VE EVER SEEN. WHY DO THEY HAVE A HEAD LIKE THAT? WHY IS IT SHAPED LIKE THAT? PROBABLY FOR SEVERAL REASONS. ONE IS THAT THEY HAVE AN EYE ON EACH END OF THE HEAD SO THAT IT HELPS THEM WITH BINOCULAR VISION. THEY ALSO HAVE A NOSTRIL ON EACH SIDE OF THE HEAD. YEAH. SO THAT PROBABLY HELPS THEM TO ORIENT TO SMELLS IN THE WATER. THEY ALSO HAVE AN ARRAY OF ELECTRORECEPTORS ALL THE WAY... SEE THOSE SHADOWS THERE? THOSE ARE ELECTRORECEPTORS. THEY CAN DETECT THE ELECTRICAL CURRENTS EMANATING FROM SMALL PREY THAT THEY FEED ON THAT MIGHT BE BURIED JUST UNDER THE SAND. Alda: THE HAMMERHEAD CERTAINLY APPEARS TO USE ITS HEAD LIKE A METAL DETECTOR WHEN SEARCHING FOR PREY. BUT CHRIS LOWE WONDERED IF THE HEAD'S WINGLIKE SHAPE ALSO GIVES IT A LIFT, LITERALLY, WHEN IT COMES TO SWIMMING. SO WE CAN LOOK AT THIS BY PLACING THE SHARK IN MY SWIM TUNNEL OR MY TREADMILL FOR FISH. Alda: WATER FLOWS THROUGH THE TANK FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. Lowe: SO WHAT HAPPENS IS, I CAN CHANGE THE VELOCITY AT WHICH THE WATER MOVES THROUGH THE LOOP. AND ONCE THE SHARKS ARE CONDITIONED THEY'LL SWIM IN PLACE. THIS SHARK ALWAYS HAS TO KEEP SWIMMING? EXACTLY... I MEAN, AS AN OBLIGATE SWIMMER MEANING THAT FROM THE TIME IT'S BORN TO THE TIME IT DIES THIS SHARK HAS TO SWIM IN ORDER TO RESPIRE... DAY AND NIGHT? DAY AND NIGHT, CONSTANTLY. OTHERWISE IT'LL SUFFOCATE. Alda: IF YOU HAVE TO SWIM TO BREATHE IT PAYS TO BE AS EFFICIENT A SWIMMER AS POSSIBLE AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, CHRIS'S SHARK TREADMILL HAS ALLOWED HIM TO COMPARE THE SWIMMING EFFICIENCY OF HAMMERHEADS TO THAT OF SHARKS WITH MORE CONVENTIONAL FRONT ENDS. HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO SHOW THAT THE HEAD DOES GIVE THE FISH AN ADVANTAGE? THESE SHARKS, COMPARED WITH OTHER SPECIES ARE VERY EFFICIENT SWIMMERS AND IF YOU LOOK AT, FOR EXAMPLE, THE TAIL COMPARE THE TAIL WITH THE HAMMERHEAD WITH ANOTHER SPECIES OF SHARK THE TAILS ARE FAIRLY SIMILAR. SO IF THE TAILS ARE SIMILAR HOW CAN THE HAMMERHEAD BE MORE EFFICIENT? WELL, THE ONLY THING I CAN THINK OF IS THEIR WING-SHAPED HEAD. Alda: A COUPLE OF DAYS WITH KIM HOLLAND AND THE STUDENTS WAS AN EXHILARATING IF SCARY REMINDER OF HOW MUCH THERE IS STILL TO LEARN ABOUT THE CREATURES OF THE DEEP-- EVEN SUCH CELEBRITIES AS SHARKS. Alda: YOU KNOW, WHEN WE WERE OUT IN THE OCEAN THERE I FELT LIKE WE WERE CHASING MOBY DICK A LITTLE BIT AND I WAS A LITTLE WORRIED, FIRST OF ALL THAT HE WAS GOING TO COME UP AND SMASH OUR BOAT APART THE WAY HE DID IN THE BOOK. BUT YOU'RE CHASING SOMETHING, LIKE AHAB. WHAT ARE YOU CHASING? I'M CHASING AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE PARTS FIT TOGETHER EVEN WHEN IT'S A BIG, UGLY PART LIKE A TIGER SHARK-- WHICH AFTER A WHILE AREN'T SO UGLY. BUT I HAVE A FEELING OF REAL URGENCY ABOUT HOW FAST OUR MARINE RESOURCES CAN BE FRITTERED AWAY AND I AND MY STUDENTS ARE TRYING TO GET THE KIND OF SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION THAT WILL ALLOW US TO USE THE MARINE RESOURCES WITHOUT SQUANDERING THEM SO THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE THERE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION. Alda: EARLY-MORNING FOG SHROUDS THE HARBOR OF MOSS LANDING 75 MILES SOUTH OF SAN FRANCISCO

				Hidden Depths A remote sub dives to the unexplored middle depths of the ocean off Monterey, California, revealing a spectacular variety of new life forms.
		Select text to jump ahead in the clip: AS THE RESEARCH VESSEL POINT LOBOS HEADS OUT TO SEA. OPERATED BY THE MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM RESEARCH INSTITUTE ITS DESTINATION IS THE EDGE OF THE LAST GREAT UNEXPLORED REGION ON EARTH. JUST TEN MILES OUT, THE OCEAN FLOOR PLUNGES INTO A CANYON BIGGER THAN THE GRAND CANYON POISING THE POINT LOBOS OVER WATER AS DEEP AS ALMOST ANY IN THE WORLD'S OCEANS. BELOW THE TOP FEW HUNDRED FEET THESE DEPTHS WERE UNTIL RECENTLY ALMOST ENTIRELY UNKNOWN THOUGH BY VOLUME THEY MAKE UP MORE THAN 90% OF THE EARTH'S LIVING SPACE. ON BOARD THE POINT LOBOS IS ONE OF THE FIRST REGULAR VISITORS TO THESE HIDDEN DEPTHS, THE SUBMARINE VENTANA. WHAT IS ALL THIS STUFF HERE? WELL, WE'VE GOT A VARIETY OF TOOLS THAT WE USE AT DEPTH. THESE ARE SAMPLERS THAT WE USE TO COLLECT THE MORE FRAGILE AND DELICATE ANIMALS. DOWN HERE IS THE BIG EYE. UP HERE ALONG THIS MIDDLE BAR ARE FOUR METAL HALOGEN LIGHTS. THE DEPTHS WE'LL BE WORKING AT TODAY ARE VERY DARK. LESS THAN 1/100th OF A PERCENT OF THE SUNLIGHT WHICH REACHES THE SURFACE PENETRATES AS DEEP AS WE'LL BE WORKING TODAY. IF YOU WERE DOWN THERE WITHOUT A LIGHT WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE? WOULD IT BE LIKE BEING IN A ROOM THAT JUST HAS A TINY CRACK SOMEWHERE UNDER A DOOR, OR...? EVEN LESS THAN THAT. ABOUT THE ONLY THING YOU CAN SEE IS THAT LOOKING UP TOWARDS THE SURFACE IS LESS DARK THAN LOOKING DOWN. Alda: BRUCE ROBISON HAS BEEN USING THE VENTANA TO EXPLORE THE DARKNESS BELOW FOR SOME SIX YEARS NOW. THE SUBMARINE ISN'T PILOTED. BRUCE AND HIS CREW OPERATE IT FROM THE SURFACE WHERE THE OCEAN SWELL IS MAKING LIFE DISTINCTLY UNCOMFORTABLE FOR ME AND OUR CAMERA CREW. UNFORTUNATELY, GOING BELOW ONLY MAKES THINGS WORSE. THE CONTROL ROOM IS SMALL, DARK, HOT AND CONSTANTLY PITCHING. AS I MUNCH SALTINES TO SETTLE MY STOMACH THE PILOT TAKES THE VENTANA ON A DIVE THAT WILL PENETRATE A HALF MILE INTO THE DARKNESS. THE VIEW FROM VENTANA'S CAMERA IS LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF STAR WARS... Alda: SO WE'RE JUST TRAVELING THROUGH SPACE HERE. IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE... OOP! WHAT... WHAT WENT BY? Alda: COMPLETE WITH ALIENS. OH... PERALIA, PERALIA. WHAT'S THAT? WHAT'S THAT? THESE ARE GREAT, BIG, BROWN-COLORED MEDUSAE. OH, THAT'S GORGEOUS. Alda: IN A SENSE, THE CREATURES DOWN HERE ARE LIKE ALIENS... LOOK AT THIS GUY. Alda: ADAPTED TO AN ENVIRONMENT QUITE UNLIKE THE ONE THE REST OF US INHABIT. BUT THIS HAS THIS BIG PLATE AT THE END OF IT. Alda: THIS CREATURE IS CALLED A SIPHONOPHORE. THIS IS THE PROPULSIVE END AND THERE ARE SWIMMING BELTS ON EITHER SIDE THAT ALLOW THE ANIMAL TO PULL ITSELF THROUGH THE WATER. Alda: IN FACT, THE SIPHONOPHORE MAY NOT BE A SINGLE ANIMAL AT ALL BUT AN ASSEMBLY OF MANY. UNTIL IT WAS SEEN HERE IN ITS HABITAT NO ONE KNEW MUCH ABOUT IT. YOU COULDN'T HAVE EVER BROUGHT THIS UP IN A NET, COULD YOU? NO, WE WOULD HAVE HAD ONLY BITS AND PIECES. WE WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN HOW MANY SIPHONOPHORES WERE THERE WHETHER IT WAS ONE OR 100. THESE ANIMALS GET TO BE EXTRAORDINARILY LARGE. WE HAVE MEASURED THEM UP TO 120 FEET LONG. THAT'S A VERY BIG SURPRISE. Alda: AND IT MAKES IT ONE OF THE LONGEST CREATURES ON EARTH. CAPTURING SIPHONOPHORES AND THE DEEP'S OTHER GELATINOUS CREATURES IN ONE PIECE IS A JOB FOR ONE OF VENTANA'S SPECIALIZED COLLECTION DEVICES. YOU'RE GOING TO PUT HIM UP THE VACUUM CLEANER THERE? THAT'S RIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO DRAW THIS SIPHONOPHORE INTO THE SUCTION SAMPLER SO THAT WE CAN LOOK AT ITS STOMACH CONTENT. YOU CAN GET A BIG GUY LIKE THAT INTO ONE OF YOUR CONTAINERS? SURE. AND HE WON'T BREAK? IT WILL BE, UM... WHAT'S THE POLITE TERM? WADDED UP. OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE IT SOME... THIS IS WHY I DON'T BELIEVE IN FLYING SAUCERS COMING DOWN AND TAKING SAMPLES OF HUMANITY. I DON'T WANT TO BE "WADDED UP" BY ONE OF THEM. Alda: THE SIPHONOPHORE IS GENTLY SUCKED ABOARD IN ONE PIECE ACCOMPANIED BY SOME OF THE DUSTLIKE PARTICLES THAT ARE EVERYWHERE DOWN HERE. WHAT'S ALL THIS SNOWLIKE STUFF WE'RE SEEING AROUND THE ANIMAL? YOU CALLED IT BY THE RIGHT NAME. WE REFER TO IT AS MARINE SNOW. IT'S SORT OF ALL OF THE... ALL OF THE JUNK AND DETRITUS AND DUST OF THE UPPER LAYER OF THE OCEAN. SO THAT'S STUFF FALLING OFF OF ANIMALS UP ABOVE AND IT PASSES THROUGH THIS REGION AND CONTINUES ON ITS WAY ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE BOTTOM? THAT'S RIGHT. AND ANIMALS ARE FEEDING ON IT ALL THE TIME? YES, CERTAINLY BACTERIA FEED ON IT WHILE IT DESCENDS BUT THERE ARE OTHER ANIMALS, FILTER FEEDERS THAT OCCUR IN MIDWATER AND THEY PROCESS THESE PARTICLES BUT EVENTUALLY, THEY ALL REACH THE SEA FLOOR. Alda: SINCE BRUCE ROBISON AND HIS COLLEAGUES BEGAN THEIR DEEP WATER EXPLORATIONS THEY'VE IDENTIFIED DOZENS OF NEW SPECIES. CREATURES DOWN HERE RANGE FROM THE GRUESOME FANGTOOTH... TO THE ANGELIC-LOOKING RIBBONFISH. SOME 2,100 FEET DOWN THE VENTANA PASSES THROUGH A LAYER WHERE OXYGEN LEVELS ARE VERY LOW. AMONG THE CREATURES ADAPTED TO HANGING OUT HERE IS THE SPLENDIDLY NAMED VAMPYROTEUTHIS INFERNALIS A DISTANT COUSIN TO OCTOPUS AND SQUID. IT GLARES AT US BALEFULLY THROUGH A HUGE BLUE EYE. OH, BOY, TIME OUT! THIS IS A PARALEPIDID A VERY, VERY BEAUTIFUL LITTLE FISH THAT WE DON'T SEE ALL THAT OFTEN. ITS NOSE IS UP. IT'S KEEPING ITSELF ALMOST VERTICALLY IN THE WATER COLUMN. IT'S LOOKING UP, TRYING TO SEE ITS PREY SILHOUETTED AGAINST THE SURFACE. VERY SOON IT'S GOING TO TAKE OFF AND IT'LL BE GONE JUST LIKE IT VAPORIZED. THERE HE GOES, HE'S HISTORY. Alda: TO EVADE SHADOW-STALKERS LIKE THE PARALEPIDID POTENTIAL PREY ARE OFTEN TRANSPARENT. OR LIKE THIS LITTLE FISH THEY GENERATE THEIR OWN INTERNAL LIGHT. WHEN VIEWED FROM BELOW THIS MAKES THEM LESS VISIBLE AGAINST THE LIGHTER SURFACE. BIOLUMINESCENCE IS USED A LOT DOWN HERE. THE OTHERWISE-BLACK ANGLER FISH HAS A LUMINOUS BEARD TO ATTRACT PREY. BUT WHY SO MANY ANIMALS GLOW IN THE DARK IS STILL A MYSTERY. THIS IS A RED-BELLIED TOMACHTARID. IT'S A TYPE OF POLECHITE WORM THAT LIVES DOWN HERE. THIS ANIMAL HAS BIOLUMINESCENT ORGANS AT THE ENDS OF ALL ITS LEGS. WHAT A GOOD SHOT THAT IS! IT'S LIKE HAVING GLOWING TOES. Alda: THERE ARE SO MANY QUESTIONS DOWN HERE. THIS CATCHER'S-MITT-SHAPED CREATURE SEEMS TO PROPEL ITSELF ALONG WITH SHIMMERING HAIRS ALONG ITS EDGE BUT OTHERWISE IS UTTERLY MYSTERIOUS. HOW DOES THIS ANIMAL REPRODUCE? GOOD QUESTION. I DON'T KNOW. WELL, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S WONDERFUL IS HOW MUCH THERE IS TO LEARN DOWN HERE. OH, SURE. IT'S A WHOLE OTHER UNIVERSE. THAT'S PART OF WHAT MAKES IT SO EXCITING BECAUSE EACH DIVE CAN, AND OFTEN DOES BRING US SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING UNEXPECTED. Alda: UNFORTUNATELY, MY OWN CURIOSITY HAD BEGUN TO LOSE ITS BATTLE FOR ATTENTION WITH MY STOMACH. I THINK I HAVE TO GO UP AND GET SOME AIR. OKAY. IT'S NOT THAT THIS ISN'T FASCINATING. BUT I THINK STAYING IN ONE PIECE WILL BE MORE FASCINATING. ( laughs ) CERTAINLY MORE ENJOYABLE. Alda: COMING UP INTO THE AIR AND SEEING THE OCEAN AGAIN FROM A MORE FAMILIAR PERSPECTIVE IT WAS HARD TO BELIEVE SO MUCH LIFE LAY BELOW ITS SURFACE. EVEN IN THE BLACK DEPTHS OF AN OCEAN CANYON NATURE COMES UP WITH A TRULY FANTASTIC VARIETY OF CREATURES AND THEY ALL COME ABOUT IN THE SAME WAY. CHANGES IN ORGANISMS ARE CONSTANTLY TESTED AGAINST THE ENVIRONMENT AND AGAINST PREDATORS. JUST UP THE CALIFORNIA COAST FROM HERE THERE'S ONE SCIENTIST WHO HAS HAD TO DEVELOP HIS OWN UNIQUE WAY OF OBSERVING THIS NATURAL BATTLEGROUND. LOW TIDE AT PILLAR POINT A SCENIC SPOT ON CALIFORNIA'S COASTAL HIGHWAY.

				Shell Game Evolutionary biologist Gary Vermeij, blind since childhood, uses his highly developed sense of touch to understand how change comes to marine shells.
		Select text to jump ahead in the clip: ( barking ) IT'S A FAVORITE SPOT, TOO, FOR BIOLOGIST GARY VERMEIJ WHEN HE'S OUT SEARCHING FOR INSIGHTS INTO ONE OF NATURE'S LONGEST-RUNNING ARMS RACES. GARY SEARCHES, OR AS HE PUTS IT, "SEES" WITH HIS HANDS AND FINGERS. LOOK AT THIS, THIS IS A... PISASTER? OH, WOW, THAT IS A BIG PISASTER. AND HE IS ACTUALLY... WELL, HE'S VERY TIGHTLY ATTACHED. Alda: BLIND SINCE THE AGE OF THREE IT'S THROUGH TOUCH THAT HE SEES THINGS MOST OF US WITH SIGHT WOULD MISS. WHAT ARE YOU DOING? AHA! WHAT HAVE YOU GOT THERE? LOOKS LIKE A TEGULA! YES, INDEED. ABSOLUTELY, HE HAD A TEGULA-- TEGULA FUNEBRALIS-- A SNAIL. AND HE HAD THIS SNAIL SITTING RIGHT LIKE THIS AND HIS MOUTH WAS OVER THE OPENING OF THE SNAIL AND HE WAS CLEARLY DIGESTING IT. WHAT THEY DO IS THEY HAVE THIS STOMACH THAT THEY CAN EXTRUDE THROUGH THE OPENING OF THE SHELL INTO THE... BASICALLY INTO THE SNAIL AND DIGEST IT EXTERNALLY. IT'S KIND OF A SLOW, MISERABLE WAY TO GO BUT THAT'S WHAT THEY DO. ALL RIGHT, NOW, YOU JUST DO YOUR THING HERE-- FIND ANOTHER TEGULA. Alda: IT WAS NO CONTEST BETWEEN THE STARFISH AND THE SNAIL BUT GARY IS FASCINATED BY HOW MOLLUSKS LIKE THE SNAIL HAVE EVOLVED DEFENSES AGAINST THEIR PREDATORS' WEAPONS LEADING HIM OCCASIONALLY TO CONFRONT THOSE WEAPONS HIMSELF. Assistant: YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE SOME PRETTY GOOD-SIZED CLAWS. I'VE GOT A HOLD OF ITS CLAW NOW. CAREFUL, YOU'RE READY? HE'S REALLY STRUGGLING AGAINST ME, TOO. YES, I'M AFRAID OF GETTING BITTEN OR SOMETHING BUT IT DOESN'T HAPPEN VERY OFTEN. IN ANY CASE, I THINK IT'S WORTH THE EFFORT BECAUSE YOU'LL ALWAYS FIND SOMETHING INTERESTING. Alda: TO GARY, NO SHELL IS WITHOUT INTEREST EVEN ONE THAT'S BEEN ALMOST ENTIRELY DEMOLISHED. OH, A COLISALO ASIMILIS TEGULA. THIS IS A LETHALLY BROKEN TEGULA FUNEBRALIS. I DON'T KNOW WHO KILLED IT OR WHAT KILLED IT-- COULD HAVE BEEN A CRAB-- AND IT'S BEEN PRETTY BADLY MASHED. DEFINITELY A FATAL WOUND. Alda: BUT IT'S SHELLS THAT HAVE SURVIVED THE ATTACKS OF THEIR PREDATORS THAT GARY FINDS MOST INTRIGUING BECAUSE IN THEIR SCARS HE SEES THEIR LIFE STORIES. Vermeij: I IMAGINE A CRAB OR SOMETHING GOT AT THIS SHELL BROKE THE LIP BACK ABOUT 90 DEGREES. THE ANIMAL SURVIVED AND REPAIRED THE DAMAGE AND IS NOW BACK TO NORMAL. BUT THIS ANIMAL HAD A RATHER EVENTFUL LIFE. Alda: THE DAILY SKIRMISHES ALONG THE SEASHORE THAT GARY READS IN THE SHELLS HE FINDS ARE THE LATEST IN A CONFRONTATION THAT'S LASTED HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF YEARS. BACK IN HIS OFFICE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IN DAVIS GARY USES HIS BRAILLE TYPEWRITER TO CATALOGUE THE THOUSANDS OF SHELLS HE'S COLLECTED IN FIELD TRIPS AROUND THE WORLD. HE KEEPS ABREAST OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY WITH BRAILLE TRANSCRIPTIONS INCLUDING THE FIELD'S LEADING JOURNAL OF WHICH HE IS THE EDITOR. GARY VERMEIJ HAS NEVER LET HIS BLINDNESS STAND IN HIS WAY. YOU MUST HAVE HAD A VERY STRONG UPBRINGING. I HAD AN EXCEEDINGLY STRONG UPBRINGING. MY PARENTS WERE... WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE QUINTESSENTIALLY LEVEL-HEADED DUTCHMEN WHO WOULDN'T... THEY NEVER HEARD OF FAILURE. THEY NEVER HEARD OF GIVING UP. Alda: ON OUR WAY TO HIS OFFICE, WE STOPPED AT A SCULPTURE GARDEN. ACTUALLY THIS ONE LOOKS A LITTLE LIKE A CRAB CLAW. BUT... BUT THE CLAWS ARE UP HIGH HERE. THAT PART IS NICE AND SMOOTH BUT DID YOU FEEL THIS? THIS IS UGLY, IT'S ROUGH. YEAH, YOU SEE, I DON'T, I DON'T FOCUS ON THAT BECAUSE I'M LOOKING AT THE WHOLE SHAPE. PEOPLE LOOK AT THIS AND DON'T FEEL IT. IF THEY HAD TO FEEL IT, THEY'D SAY "UGH, IT'S JUST A ROCK. " YEAH, SEE WHEN I... NOW IT'S NICE AND WARM BECAUSE IT'S IN THE HOT SUN. THAT'S SOMETHING YOU GET THAT YOU DON'T GET IF YOU'RE JUST LOOKING AT IT. YOU GET CHANGES IN TEMPERATURE IN THE VARIOUS SIDES OF THIS. THE IDEA THAT YOU MAY SEE THINGS THAT WE DON'T LIKE THIS TEXTURE AND THE TEMPERATURE-- THINGS THAT I WOULD NEVER HAVE THOUGHT OF AS PART OF THE ENJOYMENT OF A SCULPTURE-- IS VERY INTERESTING BECAUSE, DO YOU SUPPOSE YOU SEE THINGS THEREFORE IN SHELLS THAT OTHER PEOPLE DON'T SEE? I'M NOT SURE I SEE THINGS THAT OTHERS DON'T SEE. I MAY EMPHASIZE SOME THINGS MORE THAN OTHER PEOPLE WOULD BUT I THINK I ESSENTIALLY SEE THE SAME THINGS. Alda: WE BEGAN OUR TOUR OF GARY'S LAB WITH A DEMONSTRATION OF WHAT SHELLS ARE UP AGAINST. HOW STRONG ARE THOSE CLAWS? OH, I'LL SHOW YOU HERE. Alda: THIS IS ED PEARSON, ONE OF GARY'S GRADUATE STUDENTS. HERE, JUST GRAB ONTO MY PENCIL HERE... AND JUST GIVE IT A LITTLE SHAKE. SHE'S REALLY CLAMPING DOWN. I CAN SEE HOW SHE CAN BREAK A SHELL WITH THAT STRENGTH. I'VE RUINED A FEW PENCILS THIS WAY, TOO. ( laughter ) Alda: THE CRAB'S CLAWS MADE SHORT WORK OF THE SNAIL ED GAVE IT. BUT THEN I GOT TO SERVE UP A DIFFERENT TIDBIT. YOO-HOO-- LUNCH. Alda: IT WAS POTENTIALLY AS TASTY, BUT IN A TRICKIER PACKAGE. AND THIS TIME, DESPITE SEVERAL MINUTES OF PROBING FOR A WEAK SPOT THE CRAB GAVE UP AND THE SHELL SURVIVED UNSCATHED. Alda: THAT'S A PTERADACTYL. Alda: GARY'S PASSION IS TO LEARN HOW THESE SURVIVORS EVOLVED. DO YOUR SHELLS GO BACK THAT FAR? A COUPLE OF THEM. MOST OF THE ONES I WORK ON ARE SINCE THE AGE OF THE DINOSAURS. LET ME SHOW YOU A... VOLEMA THAT HAS A TRULY HORRID SCAR ON IT. LET'S SEE IF I CAN FIND IT HERE... Alda: HIS FAVORITE FOSSILS ARE SURVIVORS WHO LIVED TO REPAIR THEIR BATTLE WOUNDS. YES, THIS IS A REALLY DREADFUL... IT'S GOT, IT HAS SUSTAINED THIS ATTACK RIGHT HERE WHICH ISN'T SO BAD AND BACK HERE, WHEN IT WAS MUCH YOUNGER. LOOK AT THIS, THIS IS TERRIBLE. OH, YEAH, BIG, UH, CRACK, LIKE. NOW, THIS IS ALL SCARRED. IT'S NOT A PRETTY SHELL YET THIS IS VALUABLE TO YOU AND YOUR WORK MUCH MORE THAN A PRETTY SHELL? YES, WELL, IT TELLS YOU A LOT. THIS IS AN ANIMAL THAT RECORDS-- THAT CHRONICLES ITS OWN HISTORY VERY NICELY. Alda: THE HISTORY GARY SEES CHRONICLED IN HIS FOSSIL SHELLS IS OF REPAIRED DAMAGE BECOMING MORE FREQUENT OVER EVOLUTIONARY TIME SUGGESTING MORE SHELLS ARE SURVIVING THE ATTACKS OF THEIR PREDATORS AS THEIR ARMOR BECOMES MORE SOPHISTICATED. MEANWHILE, OF COURSE THEIR PREDATORS WERE EVOLVING EVER MORE FEARSOME SHELLING CRUSHING WEAPONS OF THEIR OWN. THIS HAPPENS TO BE A BOXFUL OF ONE SET OF STOMACH CONTENTS OF A FISH. HOW DID THIS GET BROKEN? DID THE FISH CHEW ON IT? YEAH, THE FISH HAS A JAW... THIS IS IT, AND OF COURSE THESE ARE UPPER AND LOWER AND THEY CRUSH. SO THEY CRUSH IT BETWEEN THOSE TWO ROUGH PLATES. AND IT GOES... Both: CRUNCH. Alda: BUT SOME SHELLS CAME UP WITH AN INGENIOUS SOLUTION. IF IT HAS LONG SPINES... IT MAKES THE SHELL LARGER. NOW, THIS IS A TRULY UNUSUAL EXAMPLE. THAT'S PRETTY SPINY. YEAH, IT'S PRETTY SPINY. WELL, THESE SPINES ACTUALLY MAKE THE SHELL BIGGER THAN IT REALLY IS AND SO IT'S HARDER TO PUT INTO THE JAWS. OH, IT'S NOT JUST THE SPINE... I THOUGHT THE SPINE WOULD ACT LIKE A KIND OF SPEAR OR A PIKE OR SOMETHING. NO, IT MAKES IT BIGGER. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO GROW BIG IT JUST PUTS OUT SPINES. THAT'S RIGHT, THAT'S RIGHT. Alda: SPINES AREN'T THE ONLY DEFENSE MOLLUSKS HAVE EVOLVED. OTHERS GREW LONGER GIVING THE SOFT ANIMAL INSIDE ROOM FOR RETREAT. SOME SHELLS EVOLVED BUTTRESSING TO STRENGTHEN THE VULNERABLE OPENING WHILE OTHERS CLOSED TIGHTLY... OR LIKE THIS COWRIE HAVE A SMALL OPENING IN A SLIPPERY SURFACE. ALL THESE ADAPTATIONS ARE IN RESPONSE TO PREDATORS THAT HAVE ALSO BEEN EVOLVING. Vermeij: SO FOR ANIMALS WITH SKELETONS LIKE MOLLUSKS THE WORLD HAS CHANGED A LOT. YOU HAVE TO MEET HIGHER STANDARDS THAN ONE MIGHT HAVE HAD TO MEET HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO. YOU'RE NOT NECESSARILY BETTER OFF TODAY BUT IT'S KIND OF LIKE HUMAN BEINGS-- WE HAVE TO PUT UP WITH HEAVIER WEAPONRY WITH GUNS WHEREAS, YOU KNOW, IN THE 1200s, OR WHATEVER WE ONLY HAD TO PUT UP WITH ARROWS. THESE CAUGHT MY EYE, THESE ARE INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL. OH, YES, WONDERFUL FOSSILS. THIS INCREDIBLE BEAUTY WAS DEVELOPED THROUGH AN ARMS RACE APPARENTLY-- THROUGH CONFLICT. FOR EVERY ORGANISM THAT LIVES AN AWFUL LOT HAVE DIED AND AN AWFUL LOT HAVE SUFFERED. YEAH, I THINK ABOUT THE SO-CALLED BALANCE OF NATURE IN A DIFFERENT WAY NOW THAT YOU SAY THAT BECAUSE IT... I GUESS NATURE LOOKS LIKE IT'S IN BALANCE AND EVERYTHING SEEMS COMFORTABLE UNLESS YOU HAPPEN TO BE ONE OF THE THINGS GETTING PUSHED OFF THE SCALE TO BRING IT INTO BALANCE. THAT'S RIGHT. WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THE WORLD WE'RE LOOKING AT IS FOR THE MOST PART A WORLD OF SURVIVORS AND OF THE SUCCESSFUL. AND FROM THAT KIND OF SURVIVING OF CONFLICT YOU GET THESE BEAUTIFUL SHELLS. YES. Alda: ONE OF MY MOST MEMORABLE ENCOUNTERS WITH A CREATURE OF THE DEEP CAME LAST YEAR AT A FISH MARKET ON THE BAY OF NAPLES IN ITALY. CAN YOU EAT OCTOPUS? Alda:

				Spineless But Smart Research with octopuses proves that even invertebrates can learn through observation.
		Select text to jump ahead in the clip: EARLY MORNING IN POZZUOLI, ON THE BAY OF NAPLES AND THE FISH MARKET IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS. I'M HERE WITH BIOLOGIST GRAZIANO FIORITO. HE COMES TO THE MARKET NOT TO BUY HIS DINNER BUT TO FIND SUBJECTS FOR HIS LAB. NOW, WHAT ABOUT THESE GUYS HERE? Alda: THIS IS THE ANIMAL FIORITO WORKS WITH-- THE OCTOPUS, ONE OF THE LEAST LOVED CREATURES OF THE SEA. AT FIRST IT'S HARD TO FIGURE OUT JUST HOW THE OCTOPUS IS PUT TOGETHER. WHERE ARE HIS EYES? THEIR HEAD IS THIS. THIS IS EYES. AND WHAT'S THIS? THIS LOOKS LIKE A BIG NOSE. THIS IS THE ABDOMEN OF THE ANIMAL. OH, THIS IS THE ABDOMEN. IT'S NOT HIS NOSE. AND WHERE'S... WHERE'S HIS MOUTH? THE MOUTH IS UNDERNEATH. IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL HIS HANDS. THE MOUTH IS IN THE MIDDLE. YES, HERE, YOU SEE IT. Alda: GRAZIANO FIORITO TAKES HIS SUBJECTS BACK TO THE ZOOLOGICAL STATION IN NAPLES EUROPE'S OLDEST MARINE BIOLOGY LABORATORY. AS AN INVERTEBRATE, THE OCTOPUS MAY BE SPINELESS BUT IT IS A SKILLED HUNTER. LURKING BEHIND A ROCK THIS ONE IS STALKING A HERMIT CRAB. OCTOPUSES LIVE ALONE SO IT'S THOUGHT THAT THEIR HUNTING SKILLS ARE PARTLY PREPROGRAMMED IN THEIR GENES AND PARTLY SELF-TAUGHT FROM EXPERIENCE. THE IDEA THAT A CREATURE AS LOWLY AS AN OCTOPUS MIGHT ALSO LEARN AS WE DO, BY WATCHING OTHERS WOULD BE HERESY TO MOST SCIENTISTS BUT THAT'S JUST WHAT FIORITO BELIEVES HE'S SEEN. HERE'S THE CHALLENGE HE SETS FOR THE OCTOPUSES HE BUYS FROM THE MARKET: A GLASS JAR CONTAINING A CRAB, AND SEALED TIGHTLY WITH A PLUG. SOME OCTOPUSES PERHAPS BECAUSE THEY'VE OPENED A LOT OF SHELLS FOR THEIR DINNER OPEN THE JAR ON THEIR FIRST TRY. OTHERS, LIKE THIS ONE CAN BE GIVEN THE JAR TIME AND TIME AGAIN WITHOUT GETTING INSIDE. I JOINED FIORITO FOR THE KEY EXPERIMENT. THE OCTOPUS ON THE RIGHT IS THE ONE THAT CAN OPEN THE JAR. THE ONE ON THE LEFT CAN'T. YOU ALREADY GAVE HIM A JAR AND HE COULDN'T DO IT. NO. HE COULD SEE THE ANIMAL... YEAH, HALF OF THE POPULATION OF ANIMALS THAT COME FROM THE SEA THAT ARE ABLE TO DO, AND THE OTHER HALF THEY ARE UNABLE TO DO. SO IT DEPENDS, LET'S SAY FROM THE INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCE. THERE IS SOME OCTOPUSES ARE MORE SKILLED THAN OTHER ONES. Alda: THE UNSKILLED ANIMAL WILL BE GIVEN A CHANCE TO WATCH HOW IT'S DONE. OKAY, SO NOW THE OCTOPUS OVER HERE IN THIS TANK WILL WATCH THIS ONE OPEN THE JAR, HUH? THAT'S RIGHT. Alda: EVEN KNOWING HOW TO DO IT DIDN'T HELP ME. ( chuckling ) I NEED SUCTION CUPS ON MY FINGERS HERE. I CAN'T DO IT. DOES HE SEE IT YET? YES. Alda: THE SKILLED OCTOPUS SEES THE CRAB IMMEDIATELY AND MOVES IN. THE UNSKILLED OCTOPUS SEEMS TO BE WATCHING INTENTLY AS THE SKILLED ONE EXPLORES THE JAR. HE'S CRAWLING NOW ON THE JAR AND HE RECOGNIZES THE PLUG YEAH... AND HE WILL TRY... NOW, ITS BEHAVIOR IS CHANGING. NOW HE'S CARRYING BACK-- TRYING TO CARRY, YOU SEE. HE WILL CARRY THE PREY BACK TO HOME TO BE MORE SAFE FROM THE OTHER ANIMAL. HE DOESN'T WANT THE OTHER ANIMAL TO INTERFERE. THAT'S RIGHT. Alda: THE PERFORMER PULLS THE PLUG AND THE CRAB IS HIS. MEANWHILE, THE OBSERVER OCTOPUS IS SCRAMBLING FOR THE BEST VIEW. DO YOU THINK THAT THIS ANIMAL, FROM OBSERVING THAT THIS TIME MAY KNOW HOW TO DO IT? WE CAN TRY. GREAT-- CAN WE SEE? YES. Alda: NOW REMEMBER THIS ANIMAL HAS NEVER BEFORE BEEN ABLE TO OPEN THE JAR. WHAT'S NEW IS THAT HE'S OBSERVED THE SOLUTION. HERE HE GOES, HERE HE GOES. LOOK, LOOK, LOOK! OH, WOW, LOOK AT HIM. HE'S RIGHT AT IT. OH, LOOK, HE GOT IN. AND HE WAS NEVER ABLE TO DO THIS BEFORE. NO. THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE. Alda: WHAT GRAZIANO FIORITO HAS SHOWN FOR THE FIRST TIME IS THAT AN INVERTEBRATE CAN LEARN BY OBSERVING. SOCIAL LEARNING LIKE THIS IS A DOMAIN OF INTELLECT USUALLY RESERVED FOR MAMMALS LIKE US. BUT AS I LEARNED IN THE FISH MARKET YOU HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO HANDLE AN OCTOPUS IF YOU WANT IT TO SHOW YOU ITS SECRETS. WHY DO YOU NEED TO BE RELAXED? IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO STUDY BEHAVIOR OF ANIMALS THE ANIMAL MUST BE SURE THAT YOU WOULD NEVER KILL HIM. THERE IS SUCH A KIND OF, LET'S SAY, GOOD RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOU AND THE ANIMAL, A GOOD FEELING. YOU HAVE TO HAVE A SURE TOUCH, HUH? WELL, I DON'T HAVE IT. I THINK THESE ANIMALS CAN SENSE IT. THEY ARE SENSITIVE. WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO PICK THEM UP? HERE. ( chuckling nervously ) HOW DO YOU GET USED TO THIS? YEAH. OH, YOU LIKE THAT? YEAH. IT'S A LITTLE LIKE A HANDFUL OF WORMS. Alda: LOOMING OVER THE BAY OF NAPLES IS MOUNT VESUVIUS A VOLCANO THAT CAUSED ONE OF HISTORY'S MOST FAMOUS DISASTERS.

				Whale Rescue A marine biologist saves whales and fishermen's valuable nets by designing an alarm that alerts whales, but not fish, to the presence of the net.
		Select text to jump ahead in the clip: THE MOURNFUL CRY OF A HUMPBACK WHALE. WHITE LINE, BUDDY. IT'S IN HIS MOUTH. IS IT? YEAH. Narrator: RACING TO SAVE ITS LIFE A TEAM OF NEWFOUNDLAND SCIENTISTS LED BY JON LIEN. THE WHALE IS CAUGHT IN A FISHING NET. IF IT CAN'T REACH THE SURFACE TO BREATHE, THE WHALE WILL DIE. WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO RESCUE A 30-TON ANIMAL THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO KEEP IT CALM. THE WORK IS COLD, DANGEROUS, AND MOST OF ALL, FRUSTRATING. ( man groans ) LIEN KNOWS THESE WHALES OF NEWFOUNDLAND INTIMATELY. HE'S BEEN FACE TO FACE ON OVER 500 RESCUES. WITH THE WATER TEMPERATURE JUST A FEW DEGREES ABOVE FREEZING JON HAS TO WORK FROM THE SURFACE. STILL, OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS ARE SEVERE: SINUS PROBLEMS, PNEUMONIA AND THE CONSTANT FEAR OF THE POWERFUL FLUKE. THE STRUGGLE HAS GONE ON FOR ALMOST THREE HOURS. PARTIALLY FREE, THE WHALE IS NOW DANGEROUSLY MOBILE. ( bellows ) THEN WITH ONE FINAL CUT-- FREEDOM. BUT THE RESCUE'S NOT COMPLETE UNTIL THEY HAUL IN THE VALUABLE NET FOR JON LIEN IS SAVING TWO ENDANGERED SPECIES: WHALES AND FISHERMEN. Lien: OUR FISHERMEN DO NOT EARN MUCH MONEY. THEY HAVE A BIG INVESTMENT AND A VERY SHORT SEASON. SO WHEN A WHALE HITS THEIR NETS IN THE MIDDLE OF FISHING SEASON THEY MIGHT LOSE ENOUGH TIME THAT THEY COULD LOSE THEIR WHOLE YEAR'S VOYAGE. Narrator: FISHING IS WHAT KEEPS MUCH OF NEWFOUNDLAND ALIVE. JUST OFFSHORE IS ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST HISTORIC FISHING GROUNDS-- THE GRAND BANKS. THESE WATERS IN 1497WHEN JOD HE REPORTED THE CODFISH WERE SO PLENTIFUL HE DIDN'T EVEN NEED A NET. SEEING CATCHES FROM AS LATE AS THE 1950s IT'S ALMOST BELIEVABLE. BY LOCALS AND FOREIGNERS,S HAVE FINALLY TAKEN THEIR TOLL. TODAY THE COD FISHERMEN OF NEWFOUNDLAND STILL USE TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUES. AND HAUL THEIR GEAR BY HAND. BUT NOW THEIR NETS ARE EMPTY. ROY CAREEN, THE SKIPPER, IS A FOURTH-GENERATION FISHERMAN STRUGGLING TO STAY AFLOAT. WITH FEWER FISH, THE ONLY WAY TO EKE OUT A LIVING IS TO USE MORE NETS. BUT THAT BRINGS TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES FOR THE WHALES. BY THE TIME JON'S TEAM ARRIVED, THIS WHALE WAS ALREADY DEAD. ALL THEY CAN DO NOW IS TRY TO HELP THE FISHERM. BUT THE $5,000 NET IS SO BADLY TANGLED IT MAY BE A TOTAL LOSS. FOR LIEN, IT'S THE WORST ACCIDENT OF THE SEASON. BUT THE WHALE'S DEATH WILL NOT BE IN VAIN. JON IS DETERMINED TO FIND OUT WHY WHALES COLLIDE WITH NETS. THE FIRST STEP IS HAULING ALL 70,000 POUNDS ASHORE. HEY! HEY! ( groans ) OW! Narrator: NO ONE'S SURE HOW THESE ANIMALS DETECT OBJECTS LIKE NETS. EYESIGHT IS UNRELIABLE IN THE MURKY OCEAN SO JON IS STUDYING THE WHALE'S HEARING. EVERY CUT RELEASES THE FOUL SMELL OF DECOMPOSITION GASES. PHEW! OKAY. ( grunts ) OH, JEEZ, WATCH OUT, I'M GOING IN! OH, GOD, FILLED MY BOOTS. Narrator: IT'S A TASK FOR ONLY THE DEDICATED. WELL, I THINK, FOR A SCIENTIST IT'S JUST AMAZING HOW THIS HUGE ANIMAL WORKS. WE ONLY UNDERSTAND IT VERY POORLY. AND IT'S A RARE PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO GET INSIDE OF IT LIKE THIS-- EVEN THOUGH IT'SROSS-- TO BEGIN TO SEE HOW THE PARTS FIT TOGETHER; HOW THEY MIGHT MAKE THE ANIMAL WORK. SO, IT IS A LITTLE SMELLY AND IT'S A LITTLE BLOODY AND YOU GET WET, BUT IT'S ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING. Narrator: AFTEELICATE AND NOT SO DELICATE WORK THEY FIND WHAT THEY'RE LOO ALE. JON THINKS THESE EARS ARE SO SENSITIVE THE ANIMAL USES THEM THE WAY WE USE OUR EYES. BUT COD NETS ARE SILENT AND THAT MEANS FOR THE WHALE THEY'RE INVISIBLE. TO MAKE THE NETS NOISIER, LIEN IS DESIGNING WHALE ALARMS. IF WE PULL UP ALONGSIDE YOU WE CAN GIVE YOU SOME ALARMS AND HAVE A CHAT? Narrator: ABOUT 50 FISHERMEN GOT EXPERIMENTAL MODELS LAST YEAR. TODAY HE'S DELIVERING A SECOND SET OF ALARMS TO KEN KING. DID YOU GET HIT? NOT YET, NO. YOU HAVEN'T. WHEN YOU HAUL, DO YOU LISTEN TO THE ALARMS? THE BOYS LIFTED THEM UP THURSDAY PAST. EVERY ONE WAS TICKING EXCEPT THE ONE ON THE INSIDE END OF THE LEADER WAS A REAL LOW TICK. WE'RE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THEM IN COLD WATER. WE BOUGHT CHEAP BATTERIES TO SAVE MONEY. Narrator: THE ALARMS MAKE A SIMPLE CLINKING SOUND. ( clink ) IT'S AT A FREQUENCY THE WHALES CAN HEAR... ( clink ) BUT THE CODFISH CAN'T. ( clink ) LAST YEAR WHEN I HAD A COD TRAP HERE, IN THE SAME AREA IT WAS TORE UP EVERY DAY, NEVER MISSED A DAY. HAD HOLES IN THE LEADER, HOLES IN THE TRAP. AND THEN I CONTACTED JON AND I GOT SEVEN OF THESE ALARMS. I PUT FOUR ON THE BOX AND THREE ON THE LEADER AND FROM THE SOUND THAT THEY MADE I THOUGHT IT WOULD FRIGHTEN THE FISH BUT THE BEST CATCH FOR THE SEASON, 22,000-- THE DAY AFTER WE PUT THESE ON. IT DIDN'T FRIGHTEN THE FISH AND FOR THE SIX DAYS AFTER THAT WE HAD THEM ON THE FISH GOT A LITTLE LESS BECAUSE IT WAS GETTING TOWARD THE END OF THE SEASON. BUT NO MORE WHALE HOLES, THANK GOD. Narrator: IN THE LATEST TRIALS, THE ALARMS ARE A SUCCESS SO THERE'S HOPE OF SAVING FISHERMEN THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AND THE WHALES, THEIR LIVES. BUT AS ONE PROBLEM MAY BE SOLVED, ANOTHER GETS WORSE. THE GRAND BANK COD STOCKS HAVE FALLEN TO RECORD LOWS. RUMOR HAS IT THE GOVERNMENT IS PLANNING DRASTIC ACTION. THE FISHERMEN GATHER FOR A PRESS CONFERENCE. NG TROUBLE THE MINISTER OF FISHERIES SPEAKS FROM AN ADJACENT ROOM. I HAVE DECIDED THAT EFFECTIVE AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT THERE WILL BE A MORATORIUM ON HARVESTING OF NORTHERN COD UNTIL THE SPRING OF 1994. I THINK-- AND IF THERE ARE SOME MEN WILLING TO GO WITH ME-- WE SHOULD GO DOWN AND KNOCK ON THAT DOOR. ( crowd cheers ) OPEN UP! Narrator: RAGE AND DEFIANCE AS THE GRAND BANKS ARE CLOSED FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS. WOULD YOU SIT BACK AND WATCH YOUR FOUR-YEAR-OLD KID STARVE? I'M NOT GOING TO. I'M GOING TO KEEP FISHING. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? A LOT OF YOUNG FELLOWS GETTING INVOLVED IN THIS, TOO. THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT RETRAINING. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO RETRAIN AT? PICKING APPLES? CUTTING FIREWOOD? THERE'S NOT VERY MUCH TO LOOK FORWARD TO NOW. Narrator: A FEW DAYS LATER, THE FISHERMEN BRING IN THE LAST NETS. SOME ARE ANGRY, SOME HOPELESS, BUT MANY REALIZE THAT THE MORATORIUM IS A LAST-DITCH EFFORT TO SAVE THEIR WAY OF LIFE. IT WILL TAKE YEARS FOR THE STOCKS TO RECOVER-- YEARS OF PAIN AND HARDSHIP FOR THE 20,000 NEWFOUNDLANDERS NOW OUT OF WORK. JON LIEN WILL USE THE TIME TO PERFECT HIS ALARMS WITH THE HOPE THAT WHEN FISHING RESUMES COD NETS WILL NO LONGER POSE A THREAT TO THE WHALES. FOR NOW, THE WHALES HAVE THESE WATERS TO THEMSELVES. BUT WITH PATIENCE AND PROPER MANAGEMENT THE GRAND BANKS WILL AGAIN, SOMEDAY, SUPPORT WHALES, FISH AND FISHERMEN. Narrator: THIS TRAILER PARK NEAR FT. MYERS, FLORIDA