The Mariana Trench—A Guide to Exploring the World’s Deepest Place

For those who are intrigued by the depths of the ocean, you may have heard of the Mariana Trench—the deepest ocean trench in the world. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the famed Mariana Trench, from its physical features to what makes it so special.

What Is the Mariana Trench?

The Mariana Trench is located in the western Pacific Ocean, near the island of Guam. It’s estimated to be over 5,000 miles long, 40 miles wide, and more than 36,000 feet deep at its floor—the deepest point in the world!

It was named after the Mariana Islands, the nearby land regardless of their distance to the trench itself. The shores of the Mariana islands are also incredibly steep, making them an interesting point of view of the trench.

What Makes the Mariana Trench So Special?

The Mariana Trench is an incredibly special and rare landmark! Its depth makes it home to a vast array of undiscovered lifeforms, from the deepest fish in the world to creatures that may never have been seen before.

It’s also the most extreme environment in the ocean—researchers can hardly recreate its gravity or pressure in any laboratory. Scientists estimate that the pressure in the Mariana Trench is around 8 tons per square inch—that’s enough to crush a human.

Fascinating Features of the Mariana Trench

There are many fascinating features of the Mariana Trench:

• Hadal Zone: The bottom of the Mariana Trench is referred to as the “hadal zone,” which is the deepest part of the ocean and extends 20,000 feet in depth.

• Abyssal Hills: Many hills, or abyssal hills, scatter the sea floor and are surrounded by mud and clay. One of the most well-known of these is the Challenger Deep, which is the absolute deepest point of the world.

• Seafloor: The Mariana Trench is littered with underwater volcanoes and hydrothermal vents, which release hot, sulfur-rich water and provide food for the exotic sea life living there.

• Deep Sea Vents: Many of the deep-sea vents produce dense smoke, which, when combined with the extreme pressure, can form a fine, red oil. This traces the life that exists in and around the Mariana Trench, feeding it sustenance and making it a hot spot for researchers.

Exploring the Mariana Trench

Exploring the Mariana Trench is no small feat, as you’d expect. It’s a treacherous and unforgiving environment, so until recent years, there had been very few successful expeditions.

The first to enter was the pioneering HMHS Challenger expedition in 1875, which mapped the seafloor—although they didn’t reach the absolute bottom. Then, in 1960, the Trieste expedition used the titanium-hulled submersible bathyscaphe to reach the depth of the Mariana Trench—a record that stood for over 50 years.

In addition to these historic expeditions, there have been other more recent attempts to explore the depths of the Mariana Trench, as modern technology improves. In 2012, the movie director James Cameron became the first person in 50 years to reach the bottom of the Mariana Trench in his solo mission aboard the DeepSea Challenger.

What Lives In the Mariana Trench?

One of the many things that make the Mariana Trench so fascinating is the fact that scientists are still uncovering what lives there. This is due to the fact that it’s nearly inaccessible by standard diving equipment.

However, researchers have managed to explore the deep depths of the Mariana Trench to discover some of the amazing creatures living there. Here’s a list of the animals that have been found to live in the Mariana Trench:

• Deep-sea Anglerfish: These unusual-looking creatures have a bioluminescent lure that they use to attract prey.

• Wild Squid: Various species of wild squid have been found in the Mariana Trench, including the giant glowing squid Desmoteus sp.

• Sixgill Shark: One of the most notable creatures living in the trench is the sixgill shark species.

• Amphipods: Amphipods can be found all the way down to 8,000 meters and act as a source of food for larger predators.

• Paenascus Trenchi Worms: This rare type of fish-eating polychaete worms has only recently been discovered in the Mariana Trench.

• Giant Grenadier Fish: Another creature that has been discovered in the depths is the giant grenadier fish, which can grow as long as six feet.

The Mariana Trench is an incredible place, with a depth that’s hard to fathom. For centuries, it’s been a source of fascination, inspiring stories and adventure. From the Challenger Deep to the rare creatures that inhabit it, there is so much yet to be discovered. Whether you have an interest in ocean exploration, the deep sea, or stories of the unknown, the Mariana Trench won’t disappoint.