Where Is the Bathyal Zone Located?

The bathyal or bathypelagic zone is an ocean layer that begins about 3,300 feet beneath the surface of the sea. It's a cold, dark place.

  1. Depth

    • Though ocean layers defy strict definition, the bathypelagic zone generally starts 1,000 meters down, or about 3,300 feet. It extends to about 4,000 meters deep, or 13,100 feet.

    Characteristics

    • The bathypelagic zone corresponds to the continental slope, where the sea floor rises most steeply toward dry land. At the top, the zone ends at the point where the continental shelf begins.

    Light

    • The zone is sometimes called the "midnight zone," because no light from the surface penetrates this deep. The only light comes from bioluminescent sea life.

    Temperature

    • Insulated from the air above and the sea floor far below, the bathypelagic zone maintains a near-constant temperature of about 39 degrees F.

    Life

    • Because of the low temperatures, crushing water pressure--up to 800 times that of the surface--and lack of food, most of the organisms that live in this zone are small, slow-moving predators.