The Layers of the Ocean

Kelp

Dolphin

Blue marlin

Man-of-war

Flying fish

Scuba diver 100 feet below

Hawksbill turtle

Blue shark

Brain coral 

Manta ray

The sperm whale, a mammal, does not stay in one zone. After it feeds on squid at around 1,600 feet, it comes to the surface for air.

0–660 feet

The water is warm, sunny, and moving. Most of the ocean’s plants and animals live here.

660–3,300 feet

Temperatures can be as low as 41°F. Because of the half-light, many fish in this zone have body lights along their bellies and tails. This helps them find prey and mates. 

Sea pen

Sea squirt

Oarfish

Flashlight fish

Ribbon fish

Sea lily

Viper fish

Giant squid sometimes go to the surface at night. They are the largest invertebrates in the world, growing up to 66 feet long! Invertebrates have no skeletons.

3,300–13,200 feet

Temperatures are around 35°F. Water pressure can be up to a thousand times as great as on the surface. There’s very little to eat, so many fish have huge mouths. Their stomachs stretch to help them catch and keep whatever they find.

Venus flower basket sponge

Gulper eel

Lantern fish and some squid spend their days here. Then they go up to the surface to feed at night.

13,200–19,800 feet

The abyssal plains cover almost half the deep seafloor. Here, mud made from the skeletons of tiny sea animals and plants builds up. In places it can be more than a mile thick. It is still, dark, and very cold down here.

A submersible can take one pilot and two scientists as deep as 15,810 feet. Much smaller, remote-controlled crafts (with no crew) can go deeper still. They can enter the ocean trenches.

Hatchet fish

Tripod fish

Over 19,800 feet

Only specially adapted creatures can survive this deep. The pressure is intense, and there’s very little food. It’s also very cold and totally dark.

Brittle star

Deep-sea anemone

Sea cucumber

Deep-sea prawn