seabed
Underwater ground surface
The seabed is the floor of the ocean—the ground beneath the water.
It includes everything from shallow coastal shelves to the deepest trenches.
Scientists study the seabed for geological features, marine habitats, and mineral deposits: The wreck rested on the seabed for centuries.
Particles settling in liquid
- sandFine rock particles
- siltWaterborne earth particles
- mudWet soil mixture
- clayMoldable earth for ceramics
substrate · deposit · continental shelf · trench · ridge · canyon · plain · slope
Marine skeletal formation
- kelpLarge brown marine algae
- seagrassSaltwater flowering plant
- spongeAbsorbent cleaning material
- anemoneTentacled polyp or bloom
reef · hydrothermal vent · benthos · habitat · algae · tube worm · nursery · biodiversity
Eight-limbed sea mollusk
- crabPincer-bearing shellfish
- starfishFive-armed marine invertebrate
- urchinNeglected street child
- clamSand-dwelling hinged shellfish
flatfish · flounder · sole · ray · lobster · shrimp · brittle star · hagfish
Underwater exploration vehicle
- sonarUnderwater detection by echoes
- ROVPiloted-from-above underwater craft
- bathyscapheSelf-propelled deep-diving craft
- mappingDiagram of correspondences
diving · expedition · research · archaeology · wreckage · treasure · depths · abyssal
sediment
Particles settling in liquid
clay · substrate · deposit · continental shelf · trench · ridge · canyon · plain · slope · crust
coral
Marine skeletal formation
anemone · reef · hydrothermal vent · benthos · habitat · algae · tube worm · nursery · biodiversity · food web
octopus
Eight-limbed sea mollusk
clam · flatfish · flounder · sole · ray · lobster · shrimp · brittle star · hagfish · anglerfish
submersible
Underwater exploration vehicle
- sonarUnderwater detection by echoes
- ROVPiloted-from-above underwater craft
- bathyscapheSelf-propelled deep-diving craft
mapping · diving · expedition · research · archaeology · wreckage · treasure · depths · abyssal · survey
trawling
Net-dragging fishing method
- dredgingExtracting underwater sediment
- miningExtracting earth's resources
- drillingHole-making by rotation
pipeline · cable · oil rig · extraction · anchor · mooring · offshore · salvage · fishing net
- underwater placesunderwater cave, underwater canyon, underwater tunnel, ocean floor, reef
- marine biologymarine life, ocean life, plankton, phytoplankton, zooplankton
- seafloor habitatssandy bottom, ocean floor, ocean trench, seamount, mid-ocean ridge
- hydrographyhydrography, bathymetry, nautical charts, soundings, nautical chart
- tidelandstidelands, tidal waters
- oceanwaves, Atlantic, Pacific, tide, tides
seabedsea surface
Water-air interface
ocean surface · water surface · surface · sky · sea level