The Mariana Trench - Curiosity Topic - English

The Mariana Trench 

Because it's the end of term and it's the last day, I'm uploading a curiosity topic today (Tuesday) because we're not going to school on Friday. This week's curiosity topic is on the Mariana Trench. Yes, the deep, dark trench carved in the bottom of the ocean populated by creepy monster fish.

What is the size of the trench?

The Mariana Trench is more than 2,550 kilometres long, 69 kilometres wide and 10,994 metres deep. The deepest part in the Mariana Trench is called the Challenger Deep.   

What creatures have been found at the bottom of the Mariana Trench?

The creatures below are some of the most confusing creatures found at the depths of the Mariana Trench;

• The Ghostfish; a Ghost-fish spotted at 8,200 feet underwater is the first time a member of the Aphyonidae family has been found alive.

• The Barreleye Fish or Spookfish; The Barreleye fish is an unusual creature with a transparent head. It is related to the Opisthoproctidae family who is found in tropical-to-temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.

• The Dumbo Octopus; Unlike other octopodes, the Dumbo Octopus does not have an ink sack. Because of the Grimpoteuthis' (The Dumbo Octopus) figure, it gets its name because of the resemblance to Disney's character Dumbo the elephant.

• The Goblin or Vampire Shark; The Goblin Shark is a rare species of the deep-sea shark, sometimes it goes by the name 'living fossil'. It is the only extant representative member of the Mitsukurinadae family, a family that is 125 million years old.

• Giant Toxic Amoebas; The creatures were discovered at the depths of 6.6 miles (10.6 kilometres). That breaks the previous record for xenophyophores found in the New Hebrides Trench at 4.7 miles (7.6 kilometres). They are about 10 centimetres long, they're one of the largest single-celled animals to exist.

Has anyone ever made it to the bottom?

As a matter of fact, there has. James Cameron recently fulfilled his longtime goal and reached the bottom of the trench in a manned craft. It took about 90 minutes to touch the ground floor.

How cold is it in the trench?
It is (34-39 degrees Fahrenheit)1-4 degrees Celsius in the Mariana Trench.

Why is it called the Mariana Trench?
It is named the Mariana Trench because it is closest to the Mariana Islands.

The Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench (a.k.a Mariana's Trench) is actually the deepest point on earth. It is said they used to drop nuclear waste in the Mariana Trench. But really, when a plate is covered in oceanic crust and is then subducted below another plate covered in oceanic crust it forms a trench, such as the Mariana Trench.

I loved learning about this topic, best one yet I'd say :)