An ocean poem | Victoria Batista | TEDxOU

I know too many are taken by the waves

I know too many are taken by the waves dragged asunder by the vicious current

dragged asunder by the vicious current

dragged asunder by the vicious current helpless people overcome but can we talk

helpless people overcome but can we talk

helpless people overcome but can we talk about the real stuff living in the deep

about the real stuff living in the deep

about the real stuff living in the deep blue sea it’s not the cutesy propaganda

blue sea it’s not the cutesy propaganda

blue sea it’s not the cutesy propaganda that Finding Nemo led you to believe

that Finding Nemo led you to believe

that Finding Nemo led you to believe there are millions of hellish creatures

there are millions of hellish creatures

there are millions of hellish creatures living down below exhibit a mouth

living down below exhibit a mouth

living down below exhibit a mouth brooders a type of cichlid the female

brooders a type of cichlid the female

brooders a type of cichlid the female Mouse reader carries unfertilized eggs

Mouse reader carries unfertilized eggs

Mouse reader carries unfertilized eggs in her mouth while the male mouth

in her mouth while the male mouth

in her mouth while the male mouth brooder has genitals that look

brooder has genitals that look

brooder has genitals that look surprisingly and startling ly like eggs

surprisingly and startling ly like eggs

surprisingly and startling ly like eggs when the female mouth breeder catches

when the female mouth breeder catches

when the female mouth breeder catches sight of a seemingly free-floating and

sight of a seemingly free-floating and

sight of a seemingly free-floating and vulnerable egg she will immediately swim

vulnerable egg she will immediately swim

vulnerable egg she will immediately swim up to it to save it at which point the

up to it to save it at which point the

up to it to save it at which point the male mouth Rooter will shoot a load in

male mouth Rooter will shoot a load in

male mouth Rooter will shoot a load in her mouth

her mouth

her mouth gross Exhibit B the frilled shark has

gross Exhibit B the frilled shark has

gross Exhibit B the frilled shark has three pointed teeth and probably a bad

three pointed teeth and probably a bad

three pointed teeth and probably a bad attitude the gulper eel can unhinge its

attitude the gulper eel can unhinge its

attitude the gulper eel can unhinge its jaw so that it can eat prey that it’s

jaw so that it can eat prey that it’s

jaw so that it can eat prey that it’s already gigantic mouth should be able to

already gigantic mouth should be able to

already gigantic mouth should be able to eat the goblin shark will it detached

eat the goblin shark will it detached

eat the goblin shark will it detached its entire damn face from the rest of

its entire damn face from the rest of

its entire damn face from the rest of its body in order to catch a meal I wish

its body in order to catch a meal I wish

its body in order to catch a meal I wish I had pictures to show you so that you

I had pictures to show you so that you

I had pictures to show you so that you can understand the gravity of existing

can understand the gravity of existing

can understand the gravity of existing creatures that can eat things they have

creatures that can eat things they have

creatures that can eat things they have no business eating such as volcanic ash

no business eating such as volcanic ash

no business eating such as volcanic ash and saw hydrogen sulfide exhibits see

and saw hydrogen sulfide exhibits see

and saw hydrogen sulfide exhibits see did you know that the ocean floor has

did you know that the ocean floor has

did you know that the ocean floor has sulphuric vents and volcanoes yeah the

sulphuric vents and volcanoes yeah the

sulphuric vents and volcanoes yeah the ocean deep has actively exploding

ocean deep has actively exploding

ocean deep has actively exploding volcanoes that spew hot lava and boiling

volcanoes that spew hot lava and boiling

volcanoes that spew hot lava and boiling sulfur into the surrounding water that

sulfur into the surrounding water that

sulfur into the surrounding water that is almost a literal description of

is almost a literal description of

is almost a literal description of Christian biblical hell see also

Christian biblical hell see also

Christian biblical hell see also Revelations 21 verse 8 and the fearful

Revelations 21 verse 8 and the fearful

Revelations 21 verse 8 and the fearful and the unbelieving shall have that

and the unbelieving shall have that

and the unbelieving shall have that place in the lake which burneth with

place in the lake which burneth with

place in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone

fire and brimstone

fire and brimstone [Music]

Exhibit D after about a thousand meters

Exhibit D after about a thousand meters of ocean like can no longer penetrate

of ocean like can no longer penetrate

of ocean like can no longer penetrate the surface water pressure skyrockets

the surface water pressure skyrockets

the surface water pressure skyrockets enough to flatten a semi-truck in tune

enough to flatten a semi-truck in tune

enough to flatten a semi-truck in tune on Imagine gallons of water coming at

on Imagine gallons of water coming at

on Imagine gallons of water coming at you from all sides you lose sight of the

you from all sides you lose sight of the

you from all sides you lose sight of the sky up and down become completely

sky up and down become completely

sky up and down become completely arbitrary in this twilight zone this

arbitrary in this twilight zone this

arbitrary in this twilight zone this this is a darkness that we fear this

this is a darkness that we fear this

this is a darkness that we fear this hellhole of an environment these

hellhole of an environment these

hellhole of an environment these nightmares live down there this monster

nightmares live down there this monster

nightmares live down there this monster set up shop down there these creatures

set up shop down there these creatures

set up shop down there these creatures just sort of kick it down there even at

just sort of kick it down there even at

just sort of kick it down there even at its darkest depths life will still

its darkest depths life will still

its darkest depths life will still persist when the eggs hatch the female

persist when the eggs hatch the female

persist when the eggs hatch the female mouth brooder will die but this is the

mouth brooder will die but this is the

mouth brooder will die but this is the sort of sacrifice for the continuance of

sort of sacrifice for the continuance of

sort of sacrifice for the continuance of life that she will be willing to make

life that she will be willing to make

life that she will be willing to make every single time ocean mouths prove

every single time ocean mouths prove

every single time ocean mouths prove that these weird head holes that we have

that these weird head holes that we have

that these weird head holes that we have they can be pretty dang useful if we put

they can be pretty dang useful if we put

they can be pretty dang useful if we put them to the right purpose flat worms

them to the right purpose flat worms

them to the right purpose flat worms have evolved to be able to survive in

have evolved to be able to survive in

have evolved to be able to survive in the boiling hot temperatures gliding up

the boiling hot temperatures gliding up

the boiling hot temperatures gliding up and over underwater volcanoes shrimp

and over underwater volcanoes shrimp

and over underwater volcanoes shrimp have adapted to consume the deadly glad

have adapted to consume the deadly glad

have adapted to consume the deadly glad gases and survive the boiling hot

gases and survive the boiling hot

gases and survive the boiling hot temperatures that would otherwise cook

temperatures that would otherwise cook

temperatures that would otherwise cook them giant tubeworms utilize

them giant tubeworms utilize

them giant tubeworms utilize chemosynthesis to obtain all of the

chemosynthesis to obtain all of the

chemosynthesis to obtain all of the nutrients they would need from sunlight

nutrients they would need from sunlight

nutrients they would need from sunlight but can’t get at these depths in the

but can’t get at these depths in the

but can’t get at these depths in the vast and wild darkness deep sea

vast and wild darkness deep sea

vast and wild darkness deep sea creatures have learned how to make their

creatures have learned how to make their

creatures have learned how to make their own light bioluminescence is the result

own light bioluminescence is the result

own light bioluminescence is the result of repurposed deadly bacteria which

of repurposed deadly bacteria which

of repurposed deadly bacteria which allows a fish to glow in the dark to say

allows a fish to glow in the dark to say

allows a fish to glow in the dark to say to every other fish down there I’m still

to every other fish down there I’m still

to every other fish down there I’m still here you haven’t gotten rid of me yet it

here you haven’t gotten rid of me yet it

here you haven’t gotten rid of me yet it is the most important method of

is the most important method of

is the most important method of communication on earth millions of

communication on earth millions of

communication on earth millions of twinkling lives refusing to simply quiet

twinkling lives refusing to simply quiet

twinkling lives refusing to simply quiet for the dark I know I know that you’re

for the dark I know I know that you’re

for the dark I know I know that you’re scared and anxious and tired and it has

scared and anxious and tired and it has

scared and anxious and tired and it has been so long since you’ve been on land

been so long since you’ve been on land

been so long since you’ve been on land it’s been so long that you have been

it’s been so long that you have been

it’s been so long that you have been treading water but it’s your most basic

treading water but it’s your most basic

treading water but it’s your most basic elements you were built to survive

elements you were built to survive

elements you were built to survive you’ve got adaptation weaved into your

you’ve got adaptation weaved into your

you’ve got adaptation weaved into your bones you are not going to be taken by

bones you are not going to be taken by

bones you are not going to be taken by these waves you will not be captured by

these waves you will not be captured by

these waves you will not be captured by the current you will not drown in this

the current you will not drown in this

the current you will not drown in this ocean because well you were made to swim

ocean because well you were made to swim

ocean because well you were made to swim thank you

thank you

thank you [Applause]