Definition of Ocean Trench

The deepest enclaves of the oceans are known as ocean trenches or sea trenches. It is one of the most unknown and at the same time most enigmatic places on our planet. Some of these graves reach 11 kilometers deep.

These ecosystems have three unique characteristics: the absence of sunlight, increased pressure, and low temperatures.

As is logical, for the study of the depths of the ocean it is necessary the technology more advanced, especially the use of high resolution sonars.

Ocean trenches pose a challenge to the scientific community

Ocean trenches are of high scientific interest for several reasons:

1) the study of species and microorganisms that live there,

2) in these places it is possible to experience the endurance of some materials, since the pressure in them is much higher than usual,

3) knowledge of the carbon cycle and

4) the understanding of climatic changes and underground currents.

The study of all these aspects turns the ocean trenches into areas of great interest to the scientific community. From an economic point of view, the oil sector prospects and drills for oil in these areas. In any case, the scientific community considers that the study of the ocean depths is in a

stage very initial.

The Mariana Trench

The Challenger Chasm located in the Mariana Trench is the deepest place in the ocean and is located south of the Mariana Islands in the Pacific. The first exploration of this pit took place in 1875 and since then several expeditions have been carried out (in 2012 the filmmaker James Cameron He was the first person to reach the deepest point on Earth alone and did so in a submarine sponsored by National Geographic).

According to the investigations carried out, its exact depth is 11,034 meters and its deepest point is known as Challenger Abyss, named after the first English expedition in 1875 in the corvette HMS Challenger.

All kinds of curiosities have been found in the Mariana Trench, such as large crustaceans, giant squid, jellyfish, different forms of plankton and unicellular beings that do not exist anywhere else on the planet. The animals that inhabit this place feed on the sediments that are in the abyssal plains.

For marine biologists it is quite a challenge discover how different species have been able to adapt to such an environment hostileWell, it must be taken into account that sunlight does not reach this depth.

Photos: Fotolia - sea / swillklitch

Themes in Ocean Trench