The teeth on [the viperfish] are so long that if they closed inside the mouth of the fish, it would actually impale its own brain.

In the ocean, [bioluminescence] is the rule rather than the exception.

We've only explored about five percent of our ocean. There are great discoveries yet to be made down there, fantastic creatures representing millions of years of evolution and possibly bioactive compounds that could benefit us in ways that we can't even yet imagine.

It's a little-appreciated fact that most of the animals in our ocean make light.

Exploration is the engine that drives innovation. Innovation drives economic growth. So let's all go exploring.

Our biggest challenges for the ocean and for the planet are problems of perception. People need to understand that species extinctions, habitat destruction, ocean acidification, and pollution are all chipping away at the resilience of the thin layer of life that sustains us on Spaceship Earth.

Our problems are solvable if they are clearly defined. To do so, we need to monitor our planetary life support systems the way doctors monitor a patient's vital signs and then use that information to protect ecosystem services as though our lives depend on it, because they do.