![]() A layer deeper than the abyssal zone is the hadalpelagic zone, which extends from the seafloor to the deepest trenches, or vertical caverns, in the ocean. These layers are followed by the abyssal zone, which is the focus of this article. Despite the abundance of sea life, this water is completely dark and has extreme pressure. The midnight zone is the next bathypelagic zone after the mesopelagic zone. Immediately following the epipelagic zone is the mesopelagic zone, where sunlight is very faint and you can find creatures that glow in the dark or are bioluminescent.ĭiagram Of The Ocean Zones With The Abyssal Zone Near The Sea Floor. There is a wide variety of sea life in these waters where sunlight penetrates. Up to about 200 feet below the surface of the ocean is called the epipelagic zone. We need to know about the other layers of the ocean in order to understand the abyssal zone. We will discuss this in more detail as we progress through this article. Despite these challenges, organisms have evolved to survive in this environment. Abyssal pressure is also extreme due to the amount of water covering the zone, between 200 and 600 times greater than the surface pressure. As a result of the lack of sunlight, the communities are perpetually in the dark and the temperatures are cold, hovering near freezing. There is no sunlight reaching this layer of the ocean because it’s so deep. The abyssal zone is the deepest layer of the ocean near the seafloor and starts at 13,000 feet and goes up to about 20,000 feet. Glow-in-the-dark fish, gigantic sea worms, and explosive hydrothermal vents. Imagine the deepest, darkest part of the ocean. Up to 76 megapascals of water pressure can be achieved. The region also has a much higher concentration of nutrient salts, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and silica, as a result of the large amount of dead organic material that drifts down from the above ocean zones and decomposes. The water along the bottom of this zone is actually devoid of oxygen, making it a death trap for organisms unable to return to the oxygen-rich water above. Because of the lack of light, there are no plants producing oxygen, which comes mostly from ice that has melted long ago in the polar regions. Throughout the majority of its mass, the abyssal zone has temperatures between 2 and 3 ☌ (36 and 37 ☏). The ocean covers 83% of the world’s surface and 60% of the ocean’s area. This zone remains in perpetual darkness at depths of 4,000 to 6,000 meters (13,300 to 20,000 feet). ![]() “Abyss” derives from the Greek word ἄβυσσος, meaning bottomless. The Abyssal Zone, or Abyssopelagic Zone, is a layer in the pelagic zone of the ocean. Abyssal Zone: Depth, Ecosystem, And Location. ![]()
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