At night the Red Devil (Humboldt) squid rises to the ocean’s surface to feed, but come morning, it begins its descent to the ocean’s depths where it must overcome hypoxic, high-pressure, and near freezing conditions. To survive this extreme environment, it enters a state of suspended animation characterized by decreased energy expenditure and a global shutdown of most cellular functions. Our research will investigate the molecular mechanisms that allow squid to undergo metabolic rate depression.