Kids put Deep Ocean Live team on spot during broadcast from 'alien world'

The biggest challenges facing the world's oceans and marine life were among the subjects addressed by the next generation during a special live Sky News broadcast from new depths of the Indian Ocean.

Sky News descended more than 250 metres below sea level to broadcast the world's first live TV news bulletin series from underwater.

School children fascinated by the Deep Ocean Live project from Bolder Academy in Isleworth and Featherstone Primary in Ealing, west London, Princess May Primary in Stoke Newington, northeast London, and Newbattle High in Dalkeith, Scotland, took part in Wednesday's third and final live broadcast.

The budding aquanauts and aspiring marine biologists at Sky HQ fired questions at the Sky News team and the scientists on the Nekton mission which explored a variety of subjects.

Their intrigue ranged from issues concerning marine life, plastic pollution and the mechanics of deep-sea diving.

How many years would it take to remove all the rubbish from the ocean?

"We can't remove all the rubbish that has been put into the ocean," said Nekton principal scientist Dr Lucy Woodall joined by Sky News presenter Mark Austin.

"So we need to concentrate on stopping it getting into the ocean," she added.

The broadcasts have offered a rare glimpse at Aldabra, one of the Earth's most heavily protected coral atolls, 600 miles southwest of the Seychelles.

What action is being taken to prevent harm to Aldabra from threats as they rise?

"The Seychelles Island Foundation who manage Aldabra, working alongside the Seychelles government and many other partners in the Seychelles are working really hard all of the time to identify those threats as they arise," said Nekton marine ecologist Rowana Walton.

"So it could be evasive species, it could be climate change, it could be coral bleaching.

"So for 365 days of the year they are researching and trying to understand Aldabra a bit better so they can instigate the right management actions."

Mankind's destruction of coral reefs was also a focus of the live Q&A session, during which it was revealed the planet has lost almost a third in recent decades.

"Unfortunately, it is quite a lot, around 30% over the last 50 years, and we may lose a further 30% in the next 30 years," said Nekton marine ecologist Rowana Walton.

"It is important we find a better way to protect them better."

Deep Ocean Live has seen presenter Anna Botting and Nekton mission pilot Randy Holt explore underwater life in a mini-submarine fitted with cameras to draw attention to the plight of the world's oceans.

Asked to describe the ocean in three words, Botting replied: "Scary, surprising and foreboding."

Nekton mission pilot Randy Holt, who has been exploring the deep ocean with Botting in a mini-sub, was asked out how much preparation he underwent for the mission.

"Quite a bit," he said.

"There has been a lot of equipment from a lot of people from around the world that we have put together for this mission on this sub that is not typical for this type of vehicle."

If you could speak to sea creatures, what would you ask them?

"Do you feel fear?" said Botting.

"It is all about predator and prey. A lot of the life of these sea creatures is to avoid being eaten."

Aquanaut Randy Holt said: "What do they think of us being down here?"

"Yes, there is a sense of a reverse aquarium down here," added Botting. "We are aliens in their world."

And Botting's message to children around the world following her experience was that "we all deserve to do a better job for this marine environment" and take "baby steps" towards changing the way we live our lives to protect the world around us.

"This marine environment is so special and so amazing we ought to be doing more," she said.

"This is a world that is alien to humanity, and the problem is 'out of sight, out of oversight', and it perhaps doesn't get the care and protection it needs.

"Deep Ocean Live has been such an extraordinary experience for me.. and it has lifted the lid on a world that we cannot see."

Sky's Ocean Rescue campaign encourages people to reduce their single-use plastics. You can find out more about the campaign and how to get involved at www.skyoceanrescue.com .