Oceanic Trenches

Oceanic trenches are the deepest parts of the world's oceans and are fascinating places. Since these trenches are created by convergent plates and the process of subduction, the Pacific Ocean contains most of the Earth's trenches (18 out of 22). This includes the Mariana Trench in the Western Pacific ocean which contains the Challenger Deep, the deepest point in any ocean, nearly seven miles below the surface.

Although the pressures and temperatures in these deep v-shaped features are extreme, there is still an abundance of plants and animals living there. Some of these may hold the keys to new technologies and medical treatments.

Additional Resources

Even in the deepest of points in the ocean, five miles below the surface, well beyond the reach of the sun's rays, life exists. Read about the HADEEP project and watch videos of the deepest known fish, the snail fish, at the Natural Environmental Research Council website.