From where the light don't get...

the blog Deep Sea News. In 1832 Darwin improvised a net and trawled the North Atlantic:

"1832
January 10th
....I proved to day the utility of a contrivance which will afford me many hours of amusement & work. — it is a bag four feet deep, made of bunting, & attached to semicircular bow this by lines is kept upright, & dragged behind the vessel. — this evening it brought up a mass of small animals, & tomorrow I look forward to a greater harvest.

11th
I am quite tired having worked all day at the produce of my net. — The number of animals that the net collects is very great & fully explains the manner so many animals of a large size live so far from land. — Many of these creatures so low in the scale of nature are most exquisite in their forms & rich colours. — It creates a feeling of wonder that so much beauty should be apparently created for such little purpose."

From Darwin's Beagle Diary at the absolutely magnificent Complete works of Darwin online website.

Pop over and have a trawl of the Deep Sea News blog. They're standing on the shoulders of a real giant.

Tags: hms beagle replica, hms beagle, Charles Darwin