The deep sea is the largest contiguous habitat on the earth, covering two thirds of the earth’s surface and averaging over 3.5 kilometers deep. Because most deep-ocean waters are connected, many species of deep-sea animals have huge geographic ranges. For example, one deep-sea fish that was previously identified in the Southeastern Pacific has recently been found around the Hawaiian Islands and off the coast of Central California, according to a new paper by MBARI researcher Lonny Lundsten and his colleagues.