What lies beneath?

A team of scientists are to embark on a three-year underwater journey to discover more about organisms living in the depths of the world's oceans.
Expedition Aquatilis will cover 35,000 miles and will span the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The expedition's route is specifically designed around little-explored diving locations - and will focus on the study of gelatinous zooplankton.
Gelata are soft-shelled organisms that live at the very bottom of the sea. They are moved around by the sea's natural current and are vital to the ocean's ecosystems as they are at the bottom of the marine food chain.
Fish, crustaceans and marine mammals depend on smaller gelata as a food source. So far, 1000 species of gelata have been discovered - but it is thought they are a mere 20 per cent of all such creatures in the world's oceans.
Little else is known about the organisms - hence the need for Expedition Aquatilis.
The team of 12 marine scientists will be travelling in a 70 ft custom-built, self-sufficient expedition vessel for their trip. They and are scheduled to depart from Marmaris, Turkey in the summer of 2015. 
Here, we put together a collection of some of the species already found by scientists.

A team of 12 scientists are to embark on a three-year underwater journey to discover more about underwater life - specifically gelatinous zooplankton or gelata. They hope to find out more about the type of organism and its many species including the Cyanea capillata, pictured

The team hope to discover more about gelata, which are soft-shelled creatures that float on waves, such as the Pteropod mollusk Limacina helicina, pictured

Just 1,000 species of gelata organisms, including the Salp Cyclosalpa bakeri pictured here with crustacean parasites inside, have so far been discovered by scientists

A Hydrozoan jellyfish Halitholus yoldiaarcticae. The Expedition Aquatilis team cover 35,000 miles and at least three oceans in a bid to learn more about such life forms

The Hydrozoan jellyfish - an organism so small that it is at the bottom of the marine food chain and is eaten by whales, fish and crustaceans

A Ctenophora, or Comb jellyfish, pictured in the Sea of Japan off Russia. It is thought only 20 per cent of the ocean's gelata have been found by researchers

A soft-bodied Clione Limacina. Very little is known about this creature and other species of Gelata - hence why the team are embarking on the expedition

A close-up shot of Cyanea capillata tentacles. The scientists will explore some of the least travelled patched of the ocean in a mid to track down more of the creatures

Alexander Semenov, who took this picture of a Cyanea Capillata, will lead the team of marine specalists in the trip - due to start in summer 2015

A remarkable, close-up picture of a jellyfish. The team will be travelling in a 70ft custom-built vessel and will set off from Turkey next year

A Cyanea jellyfish - one of the many creature which feed on gelata. Comb jellies and other jellyfish make up areound 70 per cent of their diet

Team member Olga Grum-Grzhimaylo dives under ice to collect scientific samples of gelata in the White Sea, Russia

Scientist Evgeny Vasilchenko, another member of the team, poses under the water during the dive near British Columbia, Canada

Alexander Semenov, pictured after a cold-water dive in the White sea Russia, will lead the team of 12 on their epic journey

The Aquatilis ship gets a refit at the Marmaris marina in Turkey. It has been customised and is now ready for the 35,000-mile journey

Spesis Katak

Concept autos show past visions of the future from Ferrari, Porsche, Bugatti and others

A new exhibit shows off past visions of the future with concept cars from decades ago.

The 'Dream Cars' show at the High Museum of Art, in Atlanta, Georgia, features 18 cars from as far back as the 1930s to present day.

One-of-a-kind cars from automakers such as Ferrari, General Motors, Lancia, Bugatti, Porsche and more dot the museum floor.

Concept cars often capture the imagination of young and old alike. From Futuristic roadsters that eventually make their way into private collections to ideas that never saw the open road. They rarely enter mass production and often disappear after leaving the auto show circuit.

The display pairs conceptual drawings, patents and scale models with their finished products. It runs from May 21 to September 7.

Sleek: The 1947 Norman Timbs 'Special' as seen from the side

Vroom!: The front of the 1947 Norman Timbs 'Special' has a massive grill and a stylized bumper that adds to its unique look

Liftoff: A 1953 General Motors Firebird XP-21 is seen in the foreground while a Bugatti concept is seen in the background

Seeing red: The 1956 Buick Centurion XP-301 has a nearly all red interior and futuristic gauges and dials in it's space age dashboard

Fins are in: A silver 1959 Cadillac Cyclone XP-74 is seen among other retro-futuristic cars in the display

From the not-too-distant past: A 2001 BMW GINA Light Visionary Model that never made the production lines

Italian masterpieces: A 1970 Lancia (Bertone) Stratos HF Zero (R) and a 1970 Pininfarina (Ferrari) Modulo (L) are seen side by side

Kit car: A 2007 recreation of the famed 1935 Bugatti Type 57S Competition Coupe Aerolithe

On display: Cars including the 1951 General Motors Le Sabre XP-8 (R) are part of the exhibit

Here's looking at you: The front of William Stout's 1936 Stout Scarab

From the side: William Stout's 1936 Stout Scarab is seen at by a curious museum-goer

It's the lion of long leap

A soaring lion leaps from a ridge to catch a fleeing antelope in mid air.
The extraordinary take-down happened after a pair of lionesses surprised two blesboks running in their direction.
To escape, a frightened blesbok jumped several metres from the ridge - only to be intercepted mid-flight by the hungry female.

Pincer movement: A pair of lions move in for the kill on a fleeing antelope in the Shamwari Game Reserve in South Africa as the other blesbok watches on

Predatory pounce: The extraordinary take-down happened after a pair of lionesses surprised two blesboks running in their direction

 

The claws are out: In a bid to escape, one of the blesboks jumped several metres from the ridge - only to be intercepted mid-flight by the hungry female

Captured: The lioness hauls the antelope to the ground after leaping from a ridge to grab its prey

The other blesbok was left to make a lucky getaway, while the captured animal was swiftly devoured by the fearsome predators.
Tour guide Joné Fick, 28, filmed the incredible moment just feet away from her tour bus.
The group had been watching the two lionesses perched on the ridge in the Shamwari Game Reserve in South Africa.
Joné said: 'Suddenly the lionesses got up and ran full speed at the two blesbok, which were running up the hill towards them.

Front-row seat: Tour guide Joné Fick, 28, filmed the incredible moment just feet away from her tour bus

Dinner is served: One of the blesboks was left to make a lucky getaway, while the captured animal was swiftly devoured by the fearsome predators

Hunger games: After overpowering the blesbok, the lions dragged it back to the top of the ridge to enjoy a hard-won meal

'The blesbok decided to take the only option out which was jumping towards the road, falling four metres to the ground.
'The second lioness made an amazing jump towards this blesbok and grabbed it mid-air only to slam with it on to the road right next to our vehicle.
'I've never heard of such a sighting - this was pure luck to be in the right place at the right time.'

Lying in wait: The lionesses sit patiently for their prey in the Shamwari Game Reserve in South Africa

Tour guide Joné Fick said: 'In my six years of living and working in the bush, this is definitely my best sighting ever'

Despite hitting the ground hard, the animals continued to fight before the two lionesses overcame the South African antelope.
Joné added: 'In my six years of living and working in the bush, this is definitely my best sighting ever.
'The lioness and blesbok fell so close on the ground next to us that I sure they would fall against the vehicle.
'We were all mumbling words of disbelief and some people were just staring at the scene not able to say anything at all.'
After overpowering the blesbok, the lions dragged it back to the top of the ridge to enjoy a hard-won meal.

Lion v Warthog: The stunning moment

This is the moment a warthog stepped into the path of a hungry lion and then became its prey.

The incredible pictures show the warthog step into the lion's den, but it was only ever going to end one way, as the predator then leaps out with brute force to capture the animal.

The lion then goes on to devour the wild pig, proving his status as top of the animal food chain.

The unsuspecting warthog steps into the path of an oncoming lion at the Addo Elephant Park in South Africa

The lion leaps out on to the warthog with brute force and pounces on its prey

The warthog tries to make a break for freedom but the lion is hot on its heels trying to recapture it

The stunning images were taken by photographer Dr Trix Jonker, of Bloemfontein in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, who managed to capture the action

The stunning images were caught on camera by photographer Dr Trix Jonker, at the Addo Elephant Park in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.

 Dr Jonker, 57, from Bloemfontein in the Free State province of South Africa, revealed she almost missed the moment as the warthog had a lucky escape first of all, but foolishly walked back into the lion's den and this time was not so lucky.

But she managed to capture the action at the perfect minute.

She said: 'It was getting late and the gates were closing in an hour. I looked away and when I looked back I saw the warthog coming straight towards some resting lions.

The lion wrestles the warthog to the ground sending a dust cloud up in the air

Dr Jonker said when the dust cleared she saw the lion holding the warthog between his front paws

The warthog had a lucky escape the first time it entered the lion's den, but the second time it wasn't so lucky

'The poor unsuspecting warthog did not spot the lions at all and she disappeared behind a bush where a lion was lying, and it was taken by surprise.

Dr Jonker revealed the warthog first had a lucky escape after it accidentally woke a sleeping lioness and startled her so she didn't attack.

But she couldn't believe her eyes when the same warthog went back into the lion's den.

She added: After the warthog escaped, I thought the action was over. But the warthog went back in a circle and went back on the same path as before, straight back into the lions.

The lion asserts his authority as top of the food chain as he takes a bite of the warthog who was unable to escape

The lion digs his teeth into the warthog he has just killed as he is joined by a lioness

'By this time, a male lion had woken up and was sat up straight trying to see what the commotion was.

'He saw the warthog coming and went straight into the attack position. This was when I had my camera poised as I knew this time something was going to happen.

'At one stage there was only this big dust cloud and I could not see what was happening.

The pictures were captured by Dr Trix Jonker, pictured, who said it was amazing she managed to capture the battle on camera

'Then when the dust cleared and I saw the lion holding the warthog between his front paws and looking straight at me.

'He stayed like that for quite a while then lifted the warthog into the air and started dragging her away.

'I couldn't believe how tough the warthog was, and was absolutely stunned by what I saw that afternoon. It's amazing I managed to capture it on camera.'

The wages of fear: The harrowing plight of the ship breakers

The sad beauty of these incredible images cast a light on the shipbreaking industry in Bangladesh, where workers face death and injury from accidents and environmental hazards for just a few dollars a a day.

Chittagong Ship Breaking Yard is the largest of its type in the world. Around 80 active ship breaking yards line an eight-mile stretch of the coast, employing more than 200,000 Bangladeshis and accounting for half of all the steel in Bangladesh.

Ship breaking is the dismantling of ships for scrap recycling. Most ships have a lifespan of a 25-30 years before there is so much wear that repair becomes uneconomical, but the rising cost to insure and maintain aging vessels can make even younger vessels unprofitable to operate.

A satellite image shows a mile-long stretch of the Bangladeshi coast just north of Chittagong, where ships from around the world are beached and dismantled

Arduous: At low tide ship-breakers haul a 10,000-pound cable to a beached ship to winch pieces ashore as they dismantle it

Swarms of laborers from the poorest parts of Bangladesh use acetylene torches and their hands to slice the carcass into pieces. These are hauled off the beach by teams of loaders, then melted down.

 

Ship breaking allows materials from the ship, especially steel, to be recycled. Equipment, fuel and chemicals on board the vessel can also be reused.

Peter Gwin, writing for National Geographic, visited the region to see it first hand. He described the guards, razor wire-topped fences and signs prohibiting photography there, installed following scrutiny in the ship breaker's operations after a spate of deaths.

 

After workers spent several days cutting through the decks of the Leona I, a large section suddenly crashes, sending shards of steel flying toward the yard managers. Built in Split, Croatia, the cargo vessel was at sea for 30 years, about the average ship's life span

He said: 'In the sprawling shantytowns that have grown up around the yards, I met dozens of the workers. Many had deep, jagged scars. "Chittagong tattoos," one man called them.

'Some men were missing fingers. A few were blind in one eye.

'In one home I meet a family whose four sons worked in the yards. The oldest, Mahabub, 40, spent two weeks as a cutter's helper before witnessing a man burn to death when his torch sparked a pocket of gas belowdecks.

'"I didn't even collect my pay for fear they wouldn't let me leave," he says, explaining that bosses often intimidate workers to keep silent about accidents.' 

Fishermen place their nets at low tide in front of the ship-breaking yards in Chittagong, Bangladesh. Today Chittagong is partially soaked with oil and toxic mud.

Ship breaking is dangerous work and can expose workers to toxic chemicals. 

The work is back-breaking because these massive ships are not designed to come apart, but withstand some of the harshest conditions imaginable at sea.

They are often constructed with toxic materials, such as asbestos and lead.

When ships are scrapped in the developed world, the process is more strictly regulated and expensive, so the bulk of the world's shipbreaking is done in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, where labour is cheap and oversight is minimal.

The article about the ship breakers of Chittagong appears in the May issue of National Geographic. Right, a worker in a ship-breaking yard in Chittagong.