Episode cover
Mesophotic Reefs with Yi-Kai Tea
July 07, 2025 · 67 min
In this episode…

Sorry the episode is a little late…. But it’s a bumper! 

 

Alan has been checking out hypercars while sharks have been checking out Thom. In the news, we have art, anglerfish, squid and sea spiders. Then an orafish turns up, and we are all doomed.

 

In this month's episode, we discuss mesophotic reefs, the deeper extents of coral reefs that have been overlooked in the past. It’s a wild ride that leads us to homemade hyperbaric chambers, the aquarium trade and the world’s most expensive fish. Strap in for a rollercoaster ride as we dive to the limits of scuba. 

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Thom - @ThomLinley 

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Reference list Discord Updates

Join our Patreon to get access to the Discord

 

The New Zealand wandering anemone

 

The supergiant amphipod wiki page

 

News

Under the Sea Exhibit

 

Anglerfish radiation paper

Alexe's website

 

Oarfish are turning up everywhere

Andrew and Thom’s oarfish blog

 

DOSI new podcast - Think Deep!

 

Marine Snow Carbon Transport

 

Methane Powered Sea-Spiders

 

Ancient Oceans filled with Squid

Interview

Kai’s website

Instagram

Bluesky

Twitter

Mesophotic fish collecting video

Taken by Ghislain Bardout from Under The Pole. The diver is Timothy Bennett, and he was collecting for the Australian Museum Research Expedition.

 

One of Kai’s recent mesophotic reef papers

 

The hyperbaric chamber for fishes

 

The paper where the chamber is described

 

FishPix

 

The peppermint Angelfish

 

Kai’s video of the peppermint angel

 

Teresa’s project

Her recent paper on black corals

 

Coffee with Andrew

Ribbonfish larvae paper

 

Glossary BRUV - Baited Remote Underwater Video Closed-circuit rebreather - An advanced form of scuba where your breath is recycled, and you don’t make any bubbles Husbandry - Keeping an animal in captivity IPFC - Indo-Pacific Fish Conference Marine Snow - The particles that rain down to the seabed; poop, dead things, cast shells Mesophotic Reef - The deeper extent of coral reefs where the light is reduced Rebreather - See Closed-circuit rebreather ROV - Remotely Operated Vehicle Systematics - The structure and relationships between species

 

Credits

Theme: Hadal Zone Express by Märvel

Logo image: The peppermint angel by Yi-Kai Tea