Sponsors
 |
 |
 |
|
Home > Ocean > Oceanography > Abyssal Plain Abyssal Plain
The vast majority of the real estate at the bottom of the sea is a relatively flat expanse of level floor. Called the abyssal plains, these average over two miles deep and may account for as much 79% of the sea floor worldwide. The top layer of sediment found on the surface of the abyssal plains is rich in organic matter that has drifted down from above and contains the remains of virtually everything that lives in the upper reaches to the midwater ranges of the ocean. All creatures that spend their lives at sea are also buried at sea, their remains being eaten by other organisms, or left to sink downward to the abyss. This organically rich and nutritious muck supports untold numbers of species whose diet thrives on the crumbs and the leftovers that have settled into the mud of the seabed.
|
