The deep regions of the ocean are known as the Abyssal Zone (or Abyssopelagic Zone), which begins 13,000 feet below sea level and extends to about 20,000 feet, the ocean basin. The abyss, as its commonly known, comes from the Greek for "no bottom," but this isn't exactly accurate, of course. There is no light in the abyss and the water is very cold, near freezing. Few creatures live here.
Trenches extend beyond the abyss to form the deepest points on earth. This region of the ocean is called the Hadalpelagic Zone. It spans from 20,000 feet down to 36,201 feet, the deepest known point on Earth. Incredibly, life exists in this region despite near-freezing temperatures, absolute darkness and unbelievable pressure (eight tons per square inch).
The deepest point on earth is the Mariana Trench. The Mariana Trench's deepest point is called the Challenger Deep, named after the boat the discovered it. The trench is 36,201 feet deep, or 6033.5 fathoms. The Mariana Trench is in the Pacific Ocean, nearest to Japan.
