Free
Imagine taking an ocean voyage. But instead of going around the world, you travel straight down to the bottom of the ocean.
On your trip, you pass through the five distinct layers of the ocean. You go from sunny to pitch-black, from warm to ice-cold, and from very active water to very still water. At first, there’s almost no pressure, but at the bottom, the pressure is bone-crunching. While some sea creatures live in several zones, others can live in only one zone.
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, which is a mammal, lives in multiple zones. After the sperm whale feeds on squid at around 1,600 feet, it comes to the surface for air.
0–660 feet
Here, the water is warm, sunny, and moving. Most of the ocean’s life—plants and animals—live here.
660–3,300 feet
Temperatures can be as low as 41°F. Because the light is so low, many fish in this zone have bioluminescence, or body lights, on their bellies and tails to help 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’re the largest invertebrates in the world. They can grow up to 66 feet long!
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. Very little food exists, so many fish have huge mouths. Their stomachs stretch to help them catch and keep whatever comes their way.
Venus flower basket sponge
Gulper eel
Lantern fish and some squid spend their days here, then 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 accumulates. In places, the mud can be more than a mile thick. It is still, dark, and very cold down here.
A submersible can go to depths of 15,810 feet with one pilot and two scientists. Much smaller, remotely operated crafts (with no crew) can operate in the ocean trenches.
Hatchet fish
Tripod fish
Over 19,800 feet
Only specially adapted creatures can survive this deep. The pressure is intense, there’s very little food, and it’s cold and totally dark.
Brittle star
Deep-sea anemone
Sea cucumber
Deep-sea prawn
Check It Out!
Why aren’t there any plants in the Dark Zone or below?
Plants need sunlight for photosynthesis, which is how they get energy from the Sun.
