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The biomass of the abyssal zone actually increases near the seafloor as most of the decomposing material and decomposers rest on the seabed. [9] The composition of the abyssal plain depends on the depth of the sea floor. Above 4000 meters the seafloor usually consists of calcareous shells of foraminifera, zooplankton, and phytoplankton.
However, some marine phytoplankton inhabit the deep sea, often near deep sea vents, as chemoautotrophs which use inorganic electron sources such as hydrogen sulfide, ferrous iron and ammonia. [12] An ecosystem cannot be understood without knowledge of how its food web determines the flow of materials and energy.
The deep sea is broadly defined as the ocean depth where light begins to fade, at an approximate depth of 200 m (660 ft) or the point of transition from continental shelves to continental slopes. [1] [2] Conditions within the deep sea are a combination of low temperatures, darkness, and high pressure. [3]
However, deep-sea benthic forams flourished in the aftermath. In 2020 it was reported that researchers have examined the chemical composition of thousands of samples of these benthic forams and used their findings to build the most detailed climate record of Earth ever. [224] [225] Some endoliths have extremely long lives.
At the continental shelf edge, usually about 200 metres (660 ft) deep, the gradient greatly increases and is known as the continental slope. The continental slope drops down to the deep sea floor. The deep-sea floor is called the abyssal plain and is usually about 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) deep.
Environments in which subsurface life has been found [1]. The deep biosphere is the part of the biosphere that resides below the first few meters of the ocean's surface. It extends 10 kilometers below the continental surface and 21 kilometers below the sea surface, at temperatures that may reach beyond 120 °C (248 °F) [2] which is comparable to the maximum temperature where a metabolically ...
A part of the Pacific Ocean earmarked for deep-sea mining is home to a surprising variety of life, images from a recent voyage to the Clarion-Clipperton Zone show.
Studies have found significant amounts of thraustochytrids in the stomach contents and feces of Lytechinus variegatus, a sea urchin. [105] This discovery could be due to either ingestion of detritus, containing thraustochytrids or it could potentially be a regular component of the sea urchin species’ stomach. [ 105 ]