Surface to trench

The ocean is not one habitat.

Descend through five publishing zones, see representative animals at their approximate depth ranges, and end at the deepest known seafloor in Challenger Deep.

Zone boundaries and environmental readings are simplified reference conventions. Follow the linked zone, creature, and question pages for sources and limits.

Interactive depth profile

Scroll 10,935 meters to Challenger Deep.

Depth placement is linear: one screen-scroll pixel represents approximately one meter. Pressure and temperature are illustrative estimates, not live sensor observations.

Depth control

Depth0 m

ZoneSunlight Zone

Pressure≈ 1 atm

Temperature≈ 20.0°C

LightBright to dim natural sunlight

EpipelagicSunlight Zone

MesopelagicTwilight Zone

BathypelagicMidnight Zone

AbyssopelagicAbyssal Zone

HadalpelagicHadal Zone

0 m

Sea surfaceSunlight, waves, and one atmosphere of pressure

200 m

Last strong sunlightPublishing boundary between sunlight and twilight zones

1,000 m

Midnight beginsSunlight no longer supports vision or photosynthesis

4,000 m

Abyssal zoneBroad deep seafloor and near-freezing water

6,000 m

Hadal zoneOcean trenches begin

8,336 m

Deepest confirmed fish sightingA snailfish filmed in the Izu-Ogasawara Trench

10,935 m

Challenger DeepDeepest known part of the ocean

1,100 mDeep-sea anglerfishA diverse group best known for a lure that brings prey within striking distance in dark water.750 mVampire squidA low-energy cephalopod that eats marine snow rather than hunting like a typical squid.700 mBarreleye fishA fish with tubular eyes inside a transparent, fluid-filled shield that helps it look upward and track prey.650 mGiant squidA rarely observed open-ocean squid with exceptionally large eyes and long feeding tentacles.2,500 mDumbo octopusA deep-sea octopus that moves with ear-like fins and lacks the ink defense common in shallower octopuses.7,168 mHadal snailfishSoft-bodied fishes that include the deepest fish yet confirmed on video.850 mDeep-sea dragonfishA small predatory fish with long teeth, sensitive eyes and light-producing organs.1,155 mGiant isopodA large crustacean scavenger that feeds on animal falls and other food reaching the seafloor.810 mFrilled sharkA rare eel-shaped shark with six pairs of gill slits, three-pronged teeth, and flexible jaws.1,350 mColossal squidThe heaviest known invertebrate, with enormous eyes and rotating hooks on the tentacle clubs.1,800 mYeti crabDeep-sea crustaceans that carry chemosynthetic bacteria on dense setae; some species harvest the bacteria as food.

Canonical answer

What is at the bottom?

Challenger Deep is the deepest known part of the global ocean. Its modern published depth is about 10,935 meters, with small differences among surveys because methods and uncertainty differ.

Read the sourced answer