Ideas change everything

The sea we've hardly seen

281,096 plays|

Melissa Garren |

TEDxMonterey

• April 2012

An average teaspoon of ocean water contains five million bacteria and fifty million viruses -- and yet we are just starting to discover how these "invisible engineers" control our ocean's chemistry. At TEDxMonterey, Melissa Garren sheds light on marine microbes that provide half the oxygen we breathe, maintain underwater ecosystems, and demonstrate surprising hunting skills. (Apologies for the small audio glitches in this video.)

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

An average teaspoon of ocean water contains five million bacteria and fifty million viruses -- and yet we are just starting to discover how these "invisible engineers" control our ocean's chemistry. At TEDxMonterey, Melissa Garren sheds light on marine microbes that provide half the oxygen we breathe, maintain underwater ecosystems, and demonstrate surprising hunting skills. (Apologies for the small audio glitches in this video.)

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxMonterey, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about TEDx.

About the speaker

Marine biologist

See speaker profile

Melissa Garren is a molecular and marine biologist with a passion for unlocking the mysteries of our ocean's ecosystems and finding new avenues for conservation.

About TEDx

TEDx was created in the spirit of TED's mission, "ideas worth spreading." It supports independent organizers who want to create a TED-like event in their own community.

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This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxMonterey, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about TEDx.