The five zones of the ocean, from the surface to the trenches
Sunlight fades quickly in the sea. Below about two hundred metres only a blue dusk remains, and below a thousand metres it is gone altogether. Scientists divide the water into zones by depth.
By Firoiu Dan Nicolae · 26 October 2026
The sunlit zone, 0–200 m
The sunlit zone is the layer where sunlight still reaches and plants can grow.
In Glowing Oceans, the creature usually found here is the humpback anglerfish.
The twilight zone, 200–1,000 m
The twilight zone is the layer where only a faint blue dusk remains.
In Glowing Oceans, the creatures usually found here include the diaphanous hatchetfish, the humpback anglerfish, the vampire squid, the Atolla jelly, the giant isopod and the bloody-belly comb jelly.
The midnight zone, 1,000–4,000 m
The midnight zone is the layer where no sunlight reaches and the only light is made by living things.
In Glowing Oceans, the creatures usually found here include the pelican eel, the humpback anglerfish, the vampire squid and the Atolla jelly.
The abyss, 4,000–6,000 m
The abyss is the cold, dark realm of the deep ocean plains.
None of the eight creatures shown on this site usually lives here; the book’s other creatures fill in the picture.
The hadal zone, 6,000–11,000 m
The hadal zone is the world of the deep trenches, the deepest places on Earth.
In Glowing Oceans, the creature usually found here is the Atacama snailfish.
Why it matters for the book
Every creature in Glowing Oceans carries the same depth sign, from the surface to the deepest trench, so you can see at a glance where it lives. The deepest of the eight here, the Atacama snailfish, is usually found at 6,500–7,500 m.
Author and artist of Glowing Oceans and the Glowing Series. He wrote the book’s text, drew its 303 plates, and designs the exhibitions that grow out of it.
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