Why a healthy seafloor matters for the Earth system
The seafloor is more than just the ground beneath the sea. Two-thirds of Earth's surface is covered by oceans, which have an average depth of almost 4 kilometers (2.5 miles). For a long time, the seafloor's remoteness protected it from widespread human disturbance. But that is changing: Bottom trawling now reaches depths of around 4,000 meters...
Key Takeaways
- The seafloor is more than just the ground beneath the sea.
- Two-thirds of Earth's surface is covered by oceans, which have an average depth of almost 4 kilometers (2.5 miles).
- For a long time, the seafloor's remoteness protected it from widespread human disturbance.
The seafloor is more than just the ground beneath the sea. Two-thirds of Earth's surface is covered by oceans, which have an average depth of almost 4 kilometers (2.5 miles). For a long time, the seafloor's remoteness protected it from widespread human disturbance. But that is changing: Bottom trawling now reaches depths of around 4,000 meters (13,100 feet) and already disturbs up to 2% of the global seafloor each year.
Original Publisher Attribution
This summary was curated from Phys.org.