Traces of the Deep

At first glance, a small vial of seawater collected from the deep may appear almost empty. Within it are invisible traces of the lives that have passed through, including cells, scales and fragments of genetic material known as environmental DNA, or eDNA.

Traces of the Deep invites you into that hidden world.

Shrink down and fall inside the sample, where a single vial becomes a vast, luminous universe. Bioluminescent particles drift through the darkness as a glass octopus emerges from the shadows. Curious and watchful, it becomes your guide.

Follow the octopus as it reveals traces of marine life detected in the water. A sperm whale emerges from glowing particles. Southern bluefin tuna sweep through the darkness. Other creatures appear and disappear, each encounter revealing a life that passed through this part of the ocean and left something behind.

Then the journey becomes more personal. The octopus discovers traces of its own kind. Its exploration of other lives becomes a moment of recognition. Even in the vastness of the deep, it is not alone.

Through science and storytelling, Traces of the Deep transforms evidence invisible to the human eye into an immersive journey of discovery. Environmental DNA can help scientists understand which species have been present in an environment, adding another source of evidence as we seek to understand life beneath the surface.

Return to the vial and it looks exactly as it did before, simply seawater. Now you know how much it might contain.

Sometimes, discovering what lives in the ocean begins with the traces life leaves behind.

Created in partnership with the University of Bristol, creative technology studio All Seeing Eye and wildlife filmmaker James Honeyborne, the experience brought together marine biologist Professor Steve Simpson and immersive media producer Lou Doye through the OceanX Changemakers Community. They worked alongside OceanX scientists, educators and collaborators across marine biology and immersive technology.