Sea's sun-deprived secrets revealed

Thousands of animal species thrive in the ocean depths beyond the reach of sunlight, scientists have reported after nearly 10 years of research.

Using deep-towed cameras, sonar and other state-of-the-art technologies, international teams from the Census of Marine Life inventoried 17,650 species of species, ranging from crabs to shrimp to worms.

The majority of the deep sea creatures live on animal droppings from the sunlight layer above, while others have adapted to diets of bacteria that break down oil, sulfur and methane, the sunken bones of dead whales and other foods.