Hadal Zone Life: Surviving Without Sunlight
Bizarre creatures thrive in total darkness using unique biological adaptations.
Chapter 1
Journey to the absolute bottom of the world
Chapter 2
Colossal records of the open sea
Chapter 3
Masterpieces of geological and biological design
Chapter 4
Bioluminescence and phantom lights of the sea
Ch 1 · Journey to the absolute bottom of the world
schopenhauer Challenger Deep
Drop Mount Everest straight to the bottom, the peak is still a mile under the waves!
schopenhauer Giant single-celled amoebas called xenophyophores inhabit the deepest ocean floor.
Fun Fact
Deep-sea pressure: At the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the water is so dense and pressurized that it actually behaves slightly like a solid, though it remains liquid.
schopenhauer Bizarre creatures thrive in total darkness using unique biological adaptations.
Glossary
bathyscaphe (noun)
A manned submersible vessel designed for deep-sea exploration, consisting of a pressure sphere suspended beneath a large float. In 1960, the Trieste utilized this design to carry two men to the Pacific's deepest oceanic trench.
A manned submersible vessel designed for deep-sea exploration, consisting of a pressure sphere suspended beneath a large float. In 1960, the Trieste utilized this design to carry two men to the Pacific's deepest oceanic trench.
Quiz
Who were the first two explorers to reach the bottom of the Mariana Trench in 1960?
BETA
schopenhauer Drag your submersible deeper to discover the bizarre records of the ocean's absolute bottom.
Quiz
What biological adaptation helps the Mariana snailfish survive at depths of 8,000 meters?
Quiz
Approximately how deep is the Challenger Deep, the lowest point in the Mariana Trench?
Quiz
What is the name of the deep-diving vessel that Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh used in 1960?
Quiz
What did explorer Victor Vescovo shockingly find at the bottom of the Mariana Trench in 2019?
Quiz
What type of organism is a xenophyophore, found in the deepest ocean trenches?
Quiz
How much greater is the water pressure at the bottom of the Mariana Trench compared to sea level?