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Benthic Zone
Seamounts
Underwater volcanic mountains rising from the sea floor - biological oases in the deep sea, concentrating fish and coral communities.
Depth: 100-4,000m Light: Twilight
📖 Overview
Estimated 100,000+ seamounts exist worldwide. Their currents create upwelling that concentrates plankton and fish. Deep-sea corals, orange roughy, and various pelagic predators aggregate at seamount summits. Bottom trawling has devastated many seamount ecosystems.