Animals of the Deep

The YouTube series Animals of the Deep gives audiences a glimpse into the lives of some of the amazing species that MBARI has encountered during its 36 years of deep-sea exploration. By learning what it takes for these animals to survive in their natural habitat, viewers realize that these deep-sea denizens are not as different from us as they might first seem.

Our team at MBARI wanted to create a set of motion graphics to use across all episodes of AOTD that matched the modern look and feel of MBARI's website.

We also wanted an opening title card with simple and friendly illustrations of deep-sea animals that would encourage empathy-building in viewers.

Role

Motion Design
Graphic Design
Illustration

At the start of this depth animation, I introduce a research ship (MBARI's R/V David Packard) for scale to help viewers visualize just how deep below the surface an animal can be found.

Sketches

I executed the design phase of this project remotely, sketching ideas both on paper and on a digital whiteboard that I shared with my coworkers over Zoom in real-time.

Title Card Elements

AOTD's title card pays homage to the triangle in MBARI's logo that represents Monterey Canyon, the institute's home base.

We populated this canyon with iconic species that MBARI has encountered there:

a deep-sea coral, vampire squid, spider crab and gulper eel (also featured in MBARI's logo).

Outcomes

Check out our Animals of the Deep episodes to see these motion graphics in action!

Additionally, the animal drawings in the AOTD title card were a hit – so much so that, since then, they've been used for visual branding in other pieces of MBARI media!

I incorporated the AOTD animals and developed other illustrations in the same style for the MBARI 2023 Open House flyer, as well as the pin card for MBARI's 2023 flapjack octopus pin.

The AOTD animals also pop up in MBARI's social media posts from time to time.

« See more of my work with MBARI