ECOSYSTEMS > OPEN SEA

What’s deeper than deep? Well, that would be ocean trenches. These long, narrow formations generally occur where continental plates converge. As these plates impact or scrape together, parts of them may become subducted, or forced sideways or downward. At these points, deep trenches can form, some dropping 2.5 miles (4 km) deeper than the surrounding ocean floor.

​Because these are areas where the earth’s crust is weakened, trenches are often characterized by volcanic activity and earthquakes. Very little is known about trenches, although science continues to make some advances in reaching this remote part of the ocean through remote-operated vehicles.

Representative Species for Deep Sea Trenches:

Downloadable Items:

Features Related to Deep Sea Trenches:

Earth, The Ocean Planet: Seen from space, the Earth is clearly a world of water. In fact, life here simply wouldn't exist without this one huge, interconnected ocean.

Axial Seamount Eruption Response: Scientists from various organizations head off into the Pacific to investigation the recent eruption of a large underwater volcano. Follow this new Virtual Exploration on the Oceanscape Network for daily blogs, photos, downloadables and more.

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Phoenix Island Chain Deep Dive: They are one of the deepest, most pristine coral reefs on Earth. Venture to the Phoenix Islands Chain with Schmidt Ocean Institute for a first glimpse at these unseen ecosystems.

Header photo courtesy of of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research.