![]() ![]() Many unique groups of species have been identified at these depths. Though much of the life in the deep sea remains unknown, our understanding of this unique biome is growing. They defy the odds by living in a hostile environment, under extreme pressure, near-freezing waters with few nutrients and absolute darkness. ![]() Humans have never seen many of these species. Many unique and unusual creatures fill these extreme depths. Though it was once believed that life without light was impossible, it is now clear that even the hadal zone is full of life. The tectonic activity of the so-called “ring of fire” formed by the subduction zone of the Pacific and Eurasian continental plates allows for these deep cuts in the ocean to form. 84% of these are found in the Pacific Ocean. There are 46 trenches in the ocean that make up the entire hadal zone. Though these areas small, isolated regions, the life in them is unique from the rest of the ocean. This final 5 km of the depths of the ocean represents 45% of the ocean’s depth. ![]() At the deepest (in the Mariana trench) these stretch to 11km below sea level. It consists only of trenches formed by the movements of the earth’s tectonic plates. The hadal zone (separated from the bathyal by the even darker abyssal zone) starts at the ocean floor, around six kilometers below sea level. This stretches from one to four kilometers (3,300-13,000 ft) below the surface of the ocean. It is also called the midnight zone, or the dark zone. In the third zone, the bathyal zone, no light penetrates except for rare exceptions. In each zone, less sunlight from the surface filters through. The open (pelagic) ocean is divided up into five zones, based upon depth. This imagery of a remote dark world deep beneath the surface makes Hades a perfect analogy for the deepest reaches of the ocean. The Hadal Zone Is the Deepest Reaches of the Ocean With dedicated conservation, humanity may be able to prevent this story from ending like that of Orpheus and Eurydice. Modern technology is just now beginning to enable us to truly understand and try to protect these rare Hadal habitats. Much like Orpheus, they are seeking to save something precious that has been beyond the reach of humanity. Marine biologists hope to save these depths from destruction before it is too late. Only three people in history have seen them in person. The myth of Hades has many parallels with the deepest reaches of our oceans. Watts George Frederic – Orpheus And Eurydice ![]()
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