This Undersea World Will Stop You In Your Tracks

...meanwhile... from Sandro Bocci on Vimeo.

Do we really know what lurks in the deep? A new short film showcases some of the most breathtaking -- and bizarre -- creatures that live just beneath the waves.

The short was shot by Italian filmmaker Sandro Bocci during part of a larger project that will be released later this year. Titled "…meanwhile..," Bocci turns his lens on the mysteries below, including some baffling corals brought to life using time-lapse cinematography.

"This is an infinitesimal part of the wonderful world in which we live and of which we should take better care," Bocci wrote in a description of the project. It's "a trip through a different perspective that would encourage reflection on the consequences of our actions on each scale of space and time."

The oceans haven't been doing too well as of late. Ocean acidification is wreaking havoc on coral reefs around the globe, spurred on by the unchecked release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Take a look at the video above, and check out some stunning moments that are well worth saving from the short below.