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.
Obviously, for the study of the depths of the ocean the most advanced technology is necessary, 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 the species and microorganisms that inhabit there,
2) in these places it is possible to experience the resistance of some materials, as the pressure in them is much higher than usual,
3) knowledge of the carbon cycle and
4) 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 conducts prospecting and drilling for oil in these areas. In any case, the scientific community considers that the study of the ocean depths is at a very early stage.
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 trench took place in 1875 and since then several expeditions have been carried out (in 2012 the filmmaker James Cameron 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 the Challenger Abyss, named in honor of the first English expedition that was carried out 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.
It is a challenge for marine biologists to discover how the different species have been able to adapt to such a hostile environment, since it must be taken into account that sunlight does not reach this depth.
Photos: Fotolia - sea / swillklitch
