The ocean starts at the high tide line down to the deep see trenches. The average depth of the ocean is 3,700 meters and the deepest trench is 11,000 meters. The deep sea starts where the sunlight starts to fade, around 200m below the surface of the ocean. A twilight zone extends down to 1,000m, after which almost no light penetrates.
Sunlight only reaches as far as 200 m down in the ocean. Below this depth plants cannot survive. The deeper you go in the ocean, the darker and colder it gets and the higher the pressure gets.
Very little is known about the amazing creatures that live in the depths of our oceans.
Take a journey to the depths of the ocean with this fun and interactive site The Deep Sea.
Hydrothermal vents
A hydrothermal vent is a break in the seafloor where heated water from beneath the earths crust emerges. Hydrothermal vents are commonly found near volcanic places where the tectonic plates are moving apart.
There is an amazing variety of life in the ocean from the smallest animals to the giants of the sea.
