The Layers Of the Ocean

By Chloe P.

In this article I will be talking about the oceans layers. I love learning about marine biology and wanted to write about how different layers of the ocean affect the animals living in the ocean and it’s traits. Hopefully after you read my article you are also interested in marine biology and want to learn more about the amazing ocean we have!

There are five common classifying names of the ocean's different layers. The first is the continental shelf, then the continental slope, then the continental rise, then the abyssal plains, and finally the ocean trenches. All of these layers have different features, pressures, and temperatures.

The continental shelf is the area coming off of the land. Most of the ocean's animals live in that section because it is shallow enough that the light still comes through and the pressure isn't too heavy on top of them. The average temperature is pretty high, allowing humans to swim without freezing.

Next is the continental slope, which slopes down to the abyssal plains. Lots of creatures live on the top of the sharp cliffs that follow it down. The pressure in this area increases slightly while you go down, and the temperature decreases as you go down. After that is the continental rise, which is where it comes up from a dip into the abyssal plain. This area does not hold a lot of wildlife, due to its small size and the never-ending shifting of sand.

The abyssal plain, which comes after the continental slope, is dark, cool, and high pressure. Most of the animals in this area live in little holes along the bottom. The ocean floor is dotted with geysers, which release hot air and unbreathable chemicals.

And finally, there are the trenches. These huge ravines in the ocean floor contain the least amount, but most interesting creatures. It is so cold and the pressure is so high that it is a wonder how creatures even survive. It is pitch black because it is too deep for sunlight to reach.

Thank you for reading my article on the oceans layers. There are so many different animals and cool things living in the ocean and humans have only discovered 8% of it! The ocean takes up 71% of our earth and I think we should take great care in learning about it and sustaining it.