The Blue Planet
Series title card
Picture format	16:9
Audio format	Stereo
Episode duration	50 minutes
Executive producer	Alastair Fothergill
Narrated by	David Attenborough
Music by	George Fenton
Country of origin	United Kingdom
First shown on	BBC One
Original run	12 September– 31 October 2001
No. of episodes	8

The Blue Planet is a BBC nature documentary series narrated by David Attenborough, first transmitted in the UK from 12 September 2001. Image File history File links Blueplanettitle. ... Alastair Fothergill is the series producer of The Blue Planet, Planet Earth (TV series) and the director of Earth, the associated feature film. ... Sir David Frederick Attenborough, OM, CH, CVO, CBE, FRS (born on 8 May 1926 in London, England) is one of the worlds best known broadcasters and naturalists. ... George Fenton George Fenton (born October 19, 1950) is a British composer best known for his work writing film scores and music for television, although he also writes music for the theatre. ... BBC One (or BBC1 as it was formerly styled) is the primary channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually known as the BBC (and also informally known as the Beeb or Auntie) is one of the largest broadcasting corporations in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the UK alone and with a budget of more than £4 billion. ... A nature documentary is a documentary film about animals, plants, or other non-human living creatures, usually concentrating on film taken in their natural habitat. ... Sir David Frederick Attenborough, OM, CH, CVO, CBE, FRS (born on 8 May 1926 in London, England) is one of the worlds best known broadcasters and naturalists. ... September 12 is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years). ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Described as "the first ever comprehensive series on the natural history of the world's oceans",^[1] each of the eight 50-minute episodes examines a different aspect of marine life. The underwater photography included creatures and behaviour that had hitherto never been filmed.^[2]

The series was produced in conjunction with the Discovery Channel. The executive producer was Alastair Fothergill and the music was composed by George Fenton. Discovery Channel is a property of Discovery Communications primarily packaged as a network entertainment brand distributed in virtually every pay-television market in the world. ... Alastair Fothergill is the series producer of The Blue Planet, Planet Earth (TV series) and the director of Earth, the associated feature film. ... George Fenton George Fenton (born October 19, 1950) is a British composer best known for his work writing film scores and music for television, although he also writes music for the theatre. ...

David Attenborough narrated this series prior to presenting the next in his 'Life' series of programmes, The Life of Mammals (2002), and the same production team would go on to create Planet Earth (2006). The Life of Mammals is a BBC (in conjunction with The Discovery Channel) natural history television series of ten episodes, about mammals, written and presented by David Attenborough, originally transmitted in 2002. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Planet Earth is a BBC nature documentary series narrated by David Attenborough, first transmitted in the UK from 5 March 2006. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

Background

The series took almost five years to make, involving nearly 200 filming locations. The fact that most of the ocean environment remains a mystery presented the production team with many challenges. Besides witnessing animal behaviour for the first time, the crew also observed some that was new to science. The producers were helped by marine scientists all over the world with state of the art equipment. For other uses, see Ocean (disambiguation). ...

Blue whales — whose migration routes were previously unknown — were located by air, after some of the animals had been given temporary radio tags. The camera team spent three years on standby, using a microlight to land on the water nearby when they finally caught up with the creatures in the Gulf of California. The open ocean proved more difficult and over 400 days were invested in often unsuccessful filming trips. After six weeks, the crew chanced upon a school of spinner dolphins, which in turn led them to a shoal of tuna. Off Mexico, the behaviour of a flock of frigatebirds guided the cameramen to a group of sailfish and marlin: the fastest inhabitants of the sea. Near the coast of Natal in South Africa, the team spent two seasons attempting to film the annual sardine run, a huge congregation of predators such as sharks and dolphins that assembles to feast on the migrating fish by corralling them into 'bait balls'. Meanwhile, in Monterey Bay, orca were documented trapping grey whales and killing a calf. Filming in the deep ocean required the use of special submersibles. One of them enabled the crew to dive over a mile into the San Diego trench, where the carcass of a 40-ton grey whale had been placed to attract a large variety of scavengers.^[3] Binomial name Balaenoptera musculus (Linnaeus, 1758) Blue Whale range The Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is a marine mammal belonging to the suborder of baleen whales. ... It has been suggested that Ultralight Trikes be merged into this article or section. ... The Gulf of California (also known as the Sea of Cortez or Sea of Cortés; locally known in the Spanish language as Mar de Cortés or, much less frequently, Golfo de California) is a body of water that separates the Baja California Peninsula from the Mexican mainland. ... Binomial name Stenella longirostris (Gray, 1828) Spinner Dolphin range The Spinner Dolphin (Stenella longirostris) is a small dolphin found in off-shore tropical waters around the world. ... Species See text. ... Species Fregata magnificens Fregata aquila Fregata andrewsi Fregata minor Fregata ariel There are five Derek Jeter in the family Fregatidae, the frigatebirds. ... Species Istiophorus albicans Istiophorus platypterus Sailfishes (genus Istiophorus) are fish living in all the oceans of the world. ... Genera Istiophorus Makaira Tetrapturus See text for species. ... Natal is a former British colony, and a South African province. ... The Sardine Run occurs between May and July along the East coast of South Africa when millions of sardines move up northwards. ... Orders Carcharhiniformes Heterodontiformes Hexanchiformes Lamniformes Orectolobiformes Pristiophoriformes Squaliformes Squatiniformes Symmoriida(extinct) Sharks (superorder Selachimorpha) are fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton[1] and a streamlined body. ... Genera See article below. ... A view of Monterey Bay Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean, on the coast of California, south of San Francisco. ... Binomial name Orcinus orca Linnaeus, 1758 Orca range (in blue) The Orca or Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) is the largest species of the oceanic dolphin family (Delphinidae). ... Binomial name Eschrichtius robustus Lilljeborg, 1861 Gray Whale range The Gray Whale or Grey Whale (Eschrichtius robustus), more recently called the Eastern Pacific Gray Whale, is a whale that travels between feeding and breeding grounds yearly. ... A submersible is a type of underwater vessel with limited mobility, intended to remain in one place during use. ...

Upon its first transmission on BBC One, over 12 million people watched the series and it regularly achieved an audience share of over 30%. The first episode was broadcast the day after the September 11 terrorist attacks. BBC One (or BBC1 as it was formerly styled) is the primary channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation. ... A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11—pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly...

The Blue Planet was turned into a theatrical presentation entitled The Blue Planet Live! and toured the UK in 2006. George Fenton conducted the Manchester Camerata Orchestra in Manchester, Newcastle and Nottingham during December 2006, in three criticially acclaimed shows. Press reports suggest the tour will continue in autumn 2007.^{[citation needed]}

Episodes

"Our planet is a blue planet: over seventy percent of it is covered by the sea. The Pacific Ocean alone covers half the globe. You can fly across it non-stop for twelve hours and still see nothing more than a speck of land. This series will reveal the complete natural history of our ocean planet, from its familiar shores to the mysteries of its deepest seas."

– David Attenborough, from episode one

1. "The Blue Planet"

Broadcast 12 September 2001, the first episode looks at how ocean life is regulated around the globe by currents and the varying position of the sun. Near a Pacific seamount, there is a large concentration of marine animals because when the current makes contact with the submerged rock, it forces upwards plankton and other organisms. This in turn attracts other fish to the area that are higher up the food chain, like tuna, and those that are higher still, such as silky sharks. Off of South Africa, a similar situation occurs every June when sardines migrate and are pursued by a caravan of various predators. The South Atlantic waters are the roughest, and storms also churn up nutrients to the surface. These feeding grounds have led to the world's largest albatross breeding colony, on Steeple Jason Island, west of the Falklands. Phytoplankton forms the basis of all sea life, and every night some 1,000 million tonnes of creatures ascend from the deep to search for food. Lunar phases can also have a bearing on events and the mass arrival of Ridley sea turtles on a Costa Rican beach is shown. Herring initiate the most productive food chain, providing sustenance for humpback whales, and Steller's and California sea lions. In addition, their eggs are nutrition for many, both above and in the sea. Grey whales make one of the longest migrations of any marine mammal (some 19,000 kilometres) and are ambushed by killer whales, which have learned their journey routes. An ocean current is any more or less permanent or continuous, directed movement of ocean water that flows in one of the Earths oceans. ... The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. ... Pacific redirects here. ... A seamount is a mountain rising from the seafloor that does not reach to the surface of the ocean. ... Photomontage of plankton organisms Plankton are defined as any drifting organism that inhabits the water column of oceans, seas, and bodies of fresh water. ... Binomial name Carcharias falciformis (Müller & Henle, 1839) The silky shark (Carcharias falciformis) is a large pelagic shark of tropical and warm temperate seas. ... Sardines in the Pacific An open Sardines can Sardines on a plate grilled Sardines For the hide and seek-like game, see Hide and seek. ... The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of the Earths surface. ... Genera Diomedea Thalassarche Phoebastria Phoebetria Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds allied to the procellariids, storm-petrels and diving-petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses). ... Steeple Jason Island is a small island located at , west of the Grand Jason Island. ... Malvinas redirects here. ... Diagrams of some typical phytoplankton Phytoplankton are the autotrophic component of the plankton that drift in the water column. ... Lunar phase refers to the appearance of the illuminated portion of the Moon as seen by an observer, usually on Earth. ... Species Lepidochelys kempiiLepidochelys olivacea Ridley Sea Turtles (Lepidochelys) is a genus of sea turtles with two species; the Kemps Ridley and the Olive Ridley. ... Species Clupea alba Clupea bentincki Clupea caspiopontica Clupea chrysotaenia Clupea elongata Clupea halec Clupea harengus Clupea inermis Clupea leachii Clupea lineolata Clupea minima Clupea mirabilis Clupea pallasii Clupea sardinacaroli Clupea sulcata Herrings are small oily fish of the genus Clupea found in the temperate, shallow waters of the North Atlantic... Binomial name Megaptera novaeangliae (Borowski, 1781) Humpback Whale range The Humpback Whale, Megaptera novaeangliae, is a mammal which belongs to the baleen whale suborder. ... Binomial name Eumetopias jubatus (Schreber, 1776) The Stellers sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus), also known as the Northern Sea Lion, is a sea lion of the temperate eastern Pacific, named by Georg Steller. ... Binomial name Zalophus californianus (Lesson, 1828) The California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus) is a coastal sea lion of the northern Pacific Ocean. ... Binomial name Eschrichtius robustus Lilljeborg, 1861 Gray Whale range The Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) is a whale which travels between feeding and breeding grounds yearly. ... Binomial name Orcinus orca Linnaeus, 1758 Orca range (in blue) The orca (Orcinus orca), commonly known as the killer whale, and sometimes called the grampus, is the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. ...

2. "The Deep"

Broadcast 19 September 2001, the next programme explores the unknown depths of the ocean. Over 60% of the sea is more than a mile deep and it forms the planet's most mysterious habitat. A sperm whale descends 1,000 metres to look for food and is followed. On the way down, a number of unusual creatures are witnessed, such as transparent squid and jellies, whose photophores give pulsating displays of colour. In such dark places, both being able to see (or sense movement) and the means of quick concealment are equally desirable. To that end, some use bioluminescence as a means of detecting food or evading predators. A descent to the very bottom of the ocean — some 4,000 metres — reveals life even at such cold temperatures, much of it new to science. It is dominated by echinoderms that sweep the sea bed; however, there are occasional large hunters, such as chimaera. In addition, six-gilled sharks can grow up to eight metres in length and have remained unchanged for 150 million years. They are described as "living fossils" and relatively little is known about them. As the continental slope flattens out it joins the abyssal plain, which can form huge trenches. At seven miles, the deepest is the Mariana trench, and fish have been found there right down to the very bottom. Attenborough remarks that more is known about the surface of the moon. Species captured on film for the first time include the Dumbo octopus and the hairy anglerfish. September 19 is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years). ... Binomial name Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758 Sperm Whale range (in blue) The Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) is the largest of all toothed whales and is the largest toothed animal alive, measuring up to 18 metres (60 ft) long, as well as being the largest known predator ever to exist, apart... SQUIDs, or Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices, are used to measure extremely small magnetic fields; they are currently the most sensitive such devices (magnetometers) known, with noise levels as low as 3 fT·Hz−½. While a typical fridge magnet is ~0. ... Orders Stauromedusae Coronatae Semaeostomeae Rhizostomae Jellyfish are marine invertebrates belonging to the Scyphozoan class, and in turn the phylum Cnidaria. ... A photophore is a light-emitting organ which appears as luminous spots on various marine fishes. ... Image of hundreds of agar plates cultured with a species of bioluminescent marine bacteria displayed in a pattern as an art exhibit called Bioglyphs at Montana State University–Bozeman. ... Classes Asteroidea Blastoidea (extinct) Concentricycloidea Crinoidea Echinoidea Holothuroidea Ophiuroidea Echinoderms (Phylum Echinodermata, from the Greek for spiny skin) are a phylum of marine animals found at all depths. ... Families See text for families, genera and species. ...  Sediment  Rock  Mantle  The global continental shelf, highlighted in cyan The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent, which is covered during interglacial periods such as the current epoch by relatively shallow seas (known as shelf seas) and gulfs. ... Abyssal plains are flat or very gently sloping areas of the deep ocean basin floor. ... Mariana Trench location This article is about the geographical feature. ... Apparent magnitude: up to -12. ... Species 14, see text The octopuses of the genus Grimpoteuthis are sometimes nicknamed Dumbo octopuses from the ear-like fins protruding from the top of their heads (actually bodies), resembling the ears of Walt Disneys flying elephant. ... Suborders Antennarioidei Lophioidei Ogcocephalioidei See text for families. ...

3. "Open Ocean"

Broadcast 26 September 2001, the third instalment focuses on life in the "marine deserts": seas that are furthest from land. Such waters contain the swiftest and most powerful of ocean hunters. A feeding frenzy is shown, as striped marlin, tuna and a Sei whale pick off a shoal of sardines until all within it have been consumed. Manta rays also gather to eat the eggs of spawning surgeonfish. Accumulations of plankton correspond to ocean 'boundaries' and consequently, schools of fish seek them out. This in turn attracts predators, and a sailfish is filmed on the attack. The only escape for smaller fish is to put as much distance between them and their pursuers as possible. Bluefin tuna are able to heat their bodies and so can hunt in colder conditions than the others of their species. Off the coast of New Zealand, an undersea volcano has formed an island and the nearby currents sweep many kinds of creatures to it, again creating huge feeding grounds. Another Pacific seamount is surrounded by hammerhead sharks, but not to seek food: they are there to allow other fish to clean them of parasites. However, others that are on the lookout for prey arrive in vast numbers. A large school of common dolphins is too big to feed all at once and so splits up into smaller expeditions. One of these ends up near the Azores with a shoal of mackerel in its sights, but they have to compete for their quarry with an attendant flock of shearwaters and a group of adult yellowfin tuna. September 26 is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Binomial name Tetrapturus audax Philippi, 1887 The Striped Marlin (Tetrapturus audax) is a species of marlin found in tropical, subtropical, and temperate Indo-Pacific oceans not far from the surface. ... Binomial name Balaenoptttera borealis Lesson, 1828 Sei Whale range The Sei Whaile or Say Whale, (Balaenoptera borealis) is a big large baleen whale, and as such is one of the stupiest animals in the world. ... Binomial name Manta birostris Dondorff, 1798 The manta ray, or giant manta (Manta birostris), is the largest of the rays, with the largest known specimen having been nearly 7. ... Genera Acanthurus Ctenochaetus Naso (unicornfishes) Paracanthurus Prionurus Zebrasoma (tangs) Acanthuridae (thorn tail) is the family of surgeonfishes, tangs, and unicornfishes. ... Species Istiophorus albicans Istiophorus platypterus Sailfishes (genus Istiophorus) are fish living in all the oceans of the world. ... Binomial name Thunnus maccoyii (Castelnau, 1872) The southern bluefin tuna, Thunnus maccoyii, is a tuna of the family Scombridae found in open southern hemisphere waters of all the worlds oceans mainly between 30°S and 50°S, to nearly 60°S. At up to 2. ... For other uses, see Volcano (disambiguation). ... Species Sphyrna (Sphyrna) lewini Sphyrna (Sphyrna) mokarran Sphyrna (Sphyrna) zygaena Sphyrna (Sphyrna) couardi, Sphyrna (Mesozygaena) corona Sphyrna (Platysqualus) media Sphyrna (Platysqualus) tiburo Sphyrna (Platysqualus) tudes The hammerhead shark (genus Sphyrna) is a member of the family Sphyrnidae. ... Mites parasitising a harvestman Parasitism is one version of symbiosis (living together), a phenomenon in which two organisms which are phylogenetically unrelated co-exist over a prolonged period of time, usually the lifetime of one of the individuals. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... Motto: Antes morrer livres que em paz sujeitos (Rather die free than in peace subjugated) Anthem: A Portuguesa (national) Hino dos Açores (local) Capital Ponta Delgada (Presidency of the Regional Government) Angra do Heroísmo (Supreme Court)1 Horta (Legislative Assembly)2 Largest city Ponta Delgada Official languages Portuguese... Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of fish, mostly, but not exclusively, from the family Scombridae. ... Genera Procellaria Calonectris Puffinus †See also fulmar, prion, petrel Shearwaters are medium-sized long-winged seabirds. ... Binomial name Thunnus albacares Bonnaterre, 1788 The yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) is a type of tuna eaten by humans as food. ...

4. "Frozen Seas"

Broadcast 3 October 2001, the next episode compares oceanic life in the Arctic and Antarctica. The winter in these regions brings temperatures of minus 50°C and frozen seas that create the biggest challenge. However, there are polynyas in the Arctic, which are free of ice owing to the pressure of currents on either side, and such places do provide refuge for some species, like the walrus and the bowhead whale. A group of belugas is shown: their movements are limited to a single hole in the ice — therefore putting them at risk of attack from polar bears. Everything changes with the arrival of summer, when melting ice brings a variety of migratory visitors. At the other end of the planet, in the Antarctic, winter is even more harsh, but emperor penguins and Weddell seals stay throughout. Under the sea ice, krill shrink in size and revert to their juvenile form in order to save energy. Chinstrap penguins overwinter to the north, beyond the ice, but return during the spring to breed. Having managed to get ashore, they have to walk a great distance to find a nest site, and the most favoured is Zavodovski Island, an active volcano whose warmth keeps ice from forming. Further south, as the icebergs break up, humpback and minke whales appear, their target the abundant krill. The leopard seal is the Antarctic's top predator. It is most effective underwater, and emperor penguins propel themselves at speed through its territory. Nonetheless, it almost invariably makes a kill. October 3 is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... The red line indicates the 10°C isotherm in July, commonly used to define the Arctic region border Satellite image of the Arctic surface The Arctic is the region around the Earths North Pole, opposite the Antarctic region around the South Pole. ... Winter is one of the four seasons of temperate zones. ... A polynya (pronounced pol-in-YA) is an area of open water surrounded by sea ice. ... Binomial name Odobenus rosmarus (Linnaeus, 1758) Subspecies Walruses are large semi-aquatic mammals that live in the cold Arctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. ... Binomial name Balaena mysticetus Linnaeus, 1758 Bowhead Whale range The Bowhead Whale (Balaena mysticetus), also known as Greenland Right Whale or Arctic Whale, is a marine mammal of the order Cetacea. ... Binomial name Delphinapterus leucas (Pallas, 1776) Beluga range This article is about the whale. ... Binomial name Ursus maritimus Phipps, 1774 The polar bear (Ursus maritimus), also known as the white bear, northern bear, or sea bear, is an Arctic native and the apex predator within its range. ... Summer is a season that is astronomically defined as beginning around June 21, and ending around September 23 in the Northern Hemisphere. ... Binomial name Aptenodytes forsteri Gray, 1844 The Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species. ... Binomial name Leptonychotes weddellii (Lesson, 1826) The Weddell Seal (Leptonychotes weddellii), a true seal, is named after Sir James Weddell, commander of British sealing expeditions in the Weddell Sea. ... Families Euphausiidae Euphausia Dana, 1852 Meganyctiphanes Holt and W. M. Tattersall, 1905 Nematobrachion Calman, 1905 Nematoscelis G. O. Sars, 1883 Nyctiphanes G. O. Sars, 1883 Pseudeuphausia Hansen, 1910 Stylocheiron G. O. Sars, 1883 Tessarabrachion Hansen, 1911 Thysanoessa Brandt, 1851 Thysanopoda Latreille, 1831 Bentheuphausiidae Bentheuphausia amblyops Krill are shrimp-like marine... Binomial name Pygoscelis antarctica (Forster, 1781) The Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) is a species of penguin which is found in the South Sandwich Islands, Antarctica, the South Orkneys, South Shetland, South Georgia, Bouvet Island, Balleny and Peter I Island. ... Zavodovski Island is a volcanic island in the South Sandwich Islands. ... Binomial name Balaenoptera acutorostrata Lacepede, 1804 Balaenoptera bonaerensis Burmeister, 1867 Minke Whale range Antarctic Minke Whale range Dwarf Minke Whale range The Minke Whale or Lesser Rorqual is a marine mammal belonging to the suborder of baleen whales. ... Binomial name Hydrurga leptonyx (Blainville, 1820) The Leopard Seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) is one of the true seals belonging to the family Phocidae. ...

5. "Seasonal Seas"

Broadcast 10 October 2001, this programme surveys the effects of the seasons on the world's temperate seas — the most productive on Earth. Sable Island near Nova Scotia boasts the largest colony of grey seals, which breed there when the weather is at its worst. The pups remain marooned for weeks until the spring, when they are strong enough to swim. Spring also heralds the bloom of phytoplankton: it provides food for copepods, and they in turn are prey to jellyfish, which assemble in vast, million-strong swarms. On the Californian coast, giant kelp also flourishes and by summer, grows at the rate of a metre a day. It provides a sanctuary for shoals of fish and sea otters, the latter anchoring themselves to the seaweed when resting and keeping its grazers in check by eating them. Late summer in Alaska sees Pacific salmon heading inshore to breed. However, the level of their favoured river is too low and they are forced to wait in the open sea, where they fall prey to a salmon shark. The early autumn near Vancouver Island, and the temperature drops slowly. There, the last of the year's baby herring become the focus for a feeding frenzy by diving auks and murres, and marauding rockfish. Pacific white-sided dolphins also inhabit these waters and, when not hunting nocturnally, socialise during the day. As winter arrives in the north, adult herring seek shelter but are hunted by orca, which club the fish with their tails to subdue them by creating waves of pressure. October 10 is the 283rd day of the year (284th in leap years). ... A season is one of the major divisions of the year, generally based on yearly periodic changes in weather. ... Sable Island is situated 180 km southeast of Nova Scotia, Canada in the Atlantic Ocean. ... Motto: Munit Haec et Altera Vincit (Latin: One defends and the other conquers) Official languages English, French (Canadian Gaelic) [] Capital Halifax Largest city Halifax Regional Municipality Lieutenant-Governor Mayann E. Francis Premier Rodney MacDonald (PC) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats 11 10 Area Total  - Land  - Water  (% of total)  Ranked... Binomial name Halichoerus grypus (Fabricius, 1791) Grey Seal range (in blue) The Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus) is found on both shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. ... Spring is one of the four seasons of temperate zones, the transition from winter into summer. ... Orders Calanoida Cyclopoida Gelyelloida Harpacticoida Misophrioida Monstrilloida Mormonilloida Platycopioida Poecilostomatoida Siphonostomatoida Copepods are a group of small crustaceans found in the sea and nearly every freshwater habitat. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Families Alariaceae Chordaceae Laminariaceae Lessoniaceae Phyllariaceae Pseudochordaceae Kelp are large seaweeds (algae), belonging to the brown algae and classified in the order Laminariales. ... Binomial name Enhydra lutris (Linnaeus, 1758) The Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) is a large otter native to the North Pacific, from northern Japan and Kamchatka west across the Aleutian Islands south to California. ... Seaweed-covered rocks in the UK For the band, see; Seaweed (band) For the rock musician, see; Seaweed (musician) Seaweeds are any of a large number of marine benthic algae. ... Official language(s) English Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Area  Ranked 1st  - Total 663,267 sq mi (1,717,855 km²)  - Width 808 miles (1,300 km)  - Length 1,479 miles (2,380 km)  - % water 13. ... Illustration of a male Coho Salmon The Chinook or King Salmon is the largest salmon in North America and can grow to 1. ... Binomial name Lamna ditropis Hubbs & Follett, 1947 Range of salmon shark The salmon shark, Lamna ditropis, is a mackerel shark of the family Lamnidae found in the north Pacific, at depths down to 650 m. ... Vancouver Island is separated from mainland British Columbia by the Strait of Georgia and the Queen Charlotte Strait, and from Washington by the Juan De Fuca Strait. ... Genera Alle Uria Alca Pinguinus Cepphus Brachyramphus Synthliboramphus Ptychoramphus Cyclorrhynchus Aethia Cerorhinca Fratercula This article is about a family of birds. ... The Guillemots comprise two genera of auks, Uria and Cepphus. ... Rockfish may refer to the following group of poop fishes: Striped bass of the Moronidae (common name: temperate bass) family. ... Binomial name Lagenorhynchus obliquidens (Gill, 1865) Pacific White-sided Dolphin range The Pacific White-sided Dolphin (Lagenorynchus obliquidens) is a very active dolphin found in the cool to temperate waters of the North Pacific Ocean. ...

6. "Coral Seas"

Broadcast 17 October 2001, the next instalment is about coral reefs, which are so crowded that they play host to a perpetual battle for space, even among the coral itself. It starts life as a larva that becomes a polyp. Having multiplied, it hardens into a limestone skeleton and grows to form a reef. As the community flourishes, animals develop relationships with one another and such a place can feature a huge variety of ocean life. Although corals feed nocturnally on plankton, sunlight is vital because even though they are animals, each contains millions of single-celled algae. This in turn is the favoured sustenance of the humphead parrotfish, whose jaws are so powerful that it erodes much of the reef into fine sand. Algae also grows on the top of the reef and a battle for grazing rights between shoals of powder blue and convict tangs is shown, the former being initially overwhelmed by the latter's weight of numbers before regaining the upper hand. The night-time hunting of a marbled ray alerts other predators and a group of whitetip reef sharks moves in, from which few are safe. Several breeding strategies are examined, including the acrobatic habits of brown surgeonfish and the colourful courtship of the flamboyant cuttlefish. Humpback whales are visitors to the reef and males establish their seniority by the loudness and strength of their song. Being fixed to the seabed, corals must synchronise their reproduction with lunar phases and the rising spring temperatures. October 17 is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Some of the biodiversity of a coral reef. ... Subclasses Alcyonaria Zoantharia See text for orders. ... In zoology, a polyp is one of two forms of individuals found in many species of cnidarians. ... Limey shale overlaid by limestone. ... Prism splitting light High Resolution Solar Spectrum Sunlight in the broad sense is the total spectrum of the electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun. ... A seaweed (Laurencia) up close: the branches are multicellular and only about 1 mm thick. ... Binomial name Bolbometopon muricatum (Valenciennes, 1840) The green humphead parrotfish, Bolbometopon muricatum, is a species of parrotfish, the only member of the genus Bolbometopon, found on reefs in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, from the Red Sea in the west to Samoa in the east, and from the Yaeyama Islands... Patterns in the sand Sand is a granular material made up of fine rock particles. ... Species Zebrasoma desjardinii Zebrasoma flavescens Zebrasoma gemmatum Zebrasoma rostratum Zebrasoma scopas Zebrasoma veliferum Zebrasoma xanthurum Tangs are a kind of saltwater fish which inhabit shallow reefs and beds of seagrass from the east coast of Africa northward to the Red Sea, over the broad span of the Atlantic, Indo-Pacific... Orders Rajiformes - common rays and skates Pristiformes - sawfishes Torpediniformes - electric rays See text for families. ... Binomial name Triaenodon obesus (Rüppell, 1837) Not to be confused with oceanic whitetip shark. ... Families Sepiadariidae Sepiidae Cuttlefish are marine animals of the order Sepiida belonging to the Cephalopoda class (which also includes squid, octopuses and nautiluses). ... Humpback whales are well known for their songs Whale song is the sound made by whales to communicate. ...

7. "Tidal Seas"

Broadcast 24 October 2001, the penultimate episode deals with marine life that is structured around the rising and falling tides. These are caused by the gravitational pull of the orbiting moon, but in some locations, this can also combine with the power of the sun to create a tidal bore. The world's largest tides are to be found in the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia and therefore it is a rich feeding ground. A school of finback whales is closely shadowed by a flock of Cory's shearwaters. However, they only have a limited time to feed before low tide, when they must retreat and other creatures appear. Elsewhere, some of the latter include sand bubbler crabs, bears (which feed on shellfish) and a snail species that can 'surf'. The extreme spring tides allow opportunists to forage further, and racoons are shown tackling a red rock crab. Some larger fish that hunt on the seabed, such as nurse sharks and stingrays, are forced to sit and wait until there is sufficient water in which to swim. A giant horse conch is shown devouring a tulip snail, and hermit crabs battle over its vacant shell. The varying water levels are no obstacle to tarpon: they can breathe air. This enables them to inhabit stagnant areas and hunt in them. The autumn equinox combines with a hurricane off the Bahamas to create a much higher tide than is usual, flooding large parts of the coast. When the sea recedes, it leaves behind salt: food for brine shrimps and the perfect habitat in which flamingos can breed. October 24 is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 68 days remaining. ... It has been suggested that Earth tides be merged into this article or section. ... Apparent magnitude: up to -12. ... The tidal bore in Upper Cook Inlet, Alaska A tidal bore (or just bore, or eagre) is a tidal phenomenon in which the leading edge of the incoming tide forms a wave (or waves) of water that travel up a river or narrow bay against the direction of the current. ... The Bay of Fundy (French: ) is a bay located on the Atlantic coast of North America, on the northeast end of the Gulf of Maine between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with a small portion touching the U.S. state of Maine. ... Binomial name Balaenoptera physalus (Linneus, 1758) Fin Whale range The Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus), also called the Finback Whale, is a mammal which belongs to the baleen whales suborder. ... Binomial name Calonectris diomedea (Scopoli, 1769) The Corys Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) is a large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. ... Sand bubbler crabs are nocturnal crabs of the genus Scopimera. ... Genera Ailuropoda Helarctos Melursus Ursus Tremarctos Arctodus (extinct) A bear is a small mammal in the family Ursidae of the order Carnivora. ... Cooked mussels Shellfish is a term used to describe shelled molluscs and crustaceans used as food. ... Superfamilies Buccinoidea Cancellarioidea Conoidea Muricoidea The Neogastropoda used to be an order of prosobranch gastropods in the taxonomy of Thiele (1921). ... Racoon is a Dutch rock band, formed in 1997. ... Binomial name Grapsus grapsus Linnaeus, 1758 The crab Grapsus grapsus (known variously as red rock crab, abuete negro, and, together with other crabs such as Percnon gibbesi, as Sally Lightfoot) is one of the most common crabs along the western coast of South America. ... Binomial name Ginglymostoma cirratum (Bonnaterre, 1788) The nurse shark Ginglymostoma cirratum is a shark in the nurse sharks family and may reach a length of 4. ... Genera Dasyatis Himantura Pastinachus Pteroplatytrygon Taeniura Urogymnus See text for species. ... Pleuroploca gigantea is commonly called the Horse Conch and the Giant Band Shell. ... Hermit crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infra-order Paguroidea, distinct from the true crabs in the infra-order Brachyura. ... Species Megalops atlanticus Megalops cyprinoides The tarpons are large coastal fish notable as a prize of anglers. ... Illumination of the Earth by the Sun on the day of equinox, (ignoring twilight). ... This article is about weather phenomena. ... A magnified crystal of a salt (halite/sodium chloride) Salt covering the floor of Bad Water in Death Valley, CA, the lowest point in the US. A salt, in chemistry, is any ionic compound composed of cations (positively charged ions) and anions (negative ions) so that the product is neutral... Species Artemia franciscana Artemia gracilis Artemia monica Artemia nyos Artemia parartemia Artemia parthenogenetica Artemia persimilis Artemia pollicaris Artemia salina Artemia sinica Artemia tibetiana Artemia tunesiana Artemia urmiana Brine shrimp are species of aquatic crustaceans of the genus Artemia, the only genus in the family Artemiidae. ... Flamingos are gregarious wading birds in the genus Phoenicopterus and family Phoenicopteridae. ...

8. "Coasts"

Broadcast 31 October 2001, the final programme examines the world's coastal environments, "the most dynamic of all ocean habitats". The perils of living in such places are highlighted by marine iguanas on the Galápagos Islands, whose diet of seaweed is quickly grabbed between crashing breakers. Many shores provide sites in which to breed or lay eggs. Apart from birds, turtles are among other major species to do so, and the mass emergence of flatbacks on Crab Island in Australia is reduced by predatory herons, pelicans and other hunters. Each year, four million seabirds, comprising fourteen species, return to the island of Talan in eastern Russia to nest. By ensuring that all their chicks eventually leave at the same time, they lessen the impact of predators. The rough seas of the Southern Ocean play host to penguins, and a group of them is shown being pursued by an aggressive bull sea lion. The planet's coldest seas are in Antarctica, and on South Georgia each spring, thousands of elephant seals arrive to breed. A pair of males is shown fighting a bloody battle to control a harem of females. In Patagonia, the social nature of sea lions is shown as they establish colonies, each of them several hundred strong. While in some respects it is an ideal location for the growing young, high tide brings danger for the colony as a pod of orcas habitually goes on the attack. Having snatched a victim, the murderer returns to the open ocean to 'play' with it. October 31 is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 61 days remaining. ... Binomial name Amblyrhynchus cristatus (Bell, 1825) The Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) is an iguana that has the unique ability among modern lizards to live and forage in the sea. ... Orthographic projection centred over the Galápagos The Galápagos Islands (Spanish names: Archipiélago de Colón or Islas Galápagos, from galápago, saddle- after the shells of saddlebacked Galápagos tortoises) are an archipelago made up of 13 main volcanic islands, 6 smaller islands, and 107 rocks... Aves redirects here. ... Turtles and terapins may mean: plural of turtle Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The Turtles band Turtles band Turtles Music stores See also: Turtle (disambiguation) This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Binomial name Natator depressus (Garman, 1880) The Flatback Turtle (Natator depressus) is a sea turtle endemic to the continental shelf of Australia. ... Crab Island is an island in the Torres Strait, which lies between Australia and the Melanesian island of New Guinea. ... Genera See text. ... Species Pelecanus occidentalis Pelecanus thagus Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Pelecanus onocrotalus Pelecanus crispus Pelecanus rufescens Pelecanus philippensis Pelecanus conspicillatus A pelican is any of several very large water birds with a distinctive pouch under the beak belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae. ... Modern genera Aptenodytes Eudyptes Eudyptula Megadyptes Pygoscelis Spheniscus For prehistoric genera, see Systematics Some penguins are curious. ... Binomial name Otaria flavescens (Shaw, 1800) The South American Sea Lion (Otaria flavescens, previously Otaria bryonia) is a sea lion found on the Chilean, Peruvian, Uruguayan and Argentine coasts. ... South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, also claimed by Argentina. ... Species M. leonina M. angustirostris There are two species of elephant seal. ... In orange the area most commonly defined as Patagonia. ... Binomial name Orcinus orca Linnaeus, 1758 Orca range (in blue) The Orca or Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) is the largest species of the oceanic dolphin family (Delphinidae). ...

DVDs and book

The Blue Planet DVD cover (first release). © BBC

The series was available as a 3-disc DVD set (BBCDVD1089, released 3 December 2001), including interviews with the production team, a photo gallery and three additional programmes: Image File history File links Blueplanet. ... DVD (commonly Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) is an optical disc storage media format that can be used for data storage, including movies with high video and sound quality. ... December 3 is the 337th (in leap years the 338th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

• Making Waves: the making of The Blue Planet (50 mins)
• Deep Trouble: an ecological documentary (50 mins)
• Blue: a five-minute theatrical short

The first DVD has now been supserseded by a 4-disc Special Edition (BBCDVD1792, released 3 October 2005), which features three extra programmes: October 3 is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• The Abyss
• Dive to Shark Volcano
• Amazon Abyss

The accompanying book, The Blue Planet: A Natural History of the Oceans by Andrew Byatt, Alastair Fothergill and Martha Holmes (with a foreword by David Attenborough), was published by BBC Books on 27 September 2001 (ISBN 0-563-38498-0). BBC Books is the book publishing division of BBC Worldwide, the commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation. ... September 27 is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Film

A feature-length theatrical presentation called Deep Blue was released in 2003. It consisted mainly of re-edited footage shot for The Blue Planet, accompanied by narration from Sir Michael Gambon.^[4] 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Michael Gambon in Charlotte Gray, (2001) Sir Michael John Gambon, CBE (born October 19, 1940), is an acclaimed Irish-born British actor who has worked in television, film and theatre. ...

Overseas

The series was sold to over 50 countries.^[4] In the USA, it was shown as The Blue Planet: Seas of Life with the episodes in a different order, the first one being retitled "Ocean World".

References

External links

• BBC's Blue Planet homepage