Beyond the edge of the shallow continental shelf, the sea floor begins its descent to the depths. This gently slanted region is called the continental slope. Cutting through parts of the slope are immense, V-shaped canyons that wind outward to the deep sea. In the shelter of these giant canyons live a fascinating variety of deep-sea creatures. From sharks to crabs to soft corals, many animals find food and shelter among the mud, sand and rocks that tumble down the canyon walls.

Canyon Life
Most of the continental slope is covered by a vast, uniform layer of mud - except inside the undersea canyons. There, flowing water and erosion slice through the sediment, exposing a variety of rocky surfaces and depositing patches of sand, mud and gravel. The assortment of living quarters makes possible a wide diversity of life, which is fed by nutrients that flow down the canyons like undersea rivers.

Deep Water
As overfishing depleted the once-rich resources of the continental shelf, many commercial fleets moved on to deeper waters in search of new species to exploit.

Trawlers now regularly drag the slope, disrupting a habitat that had never before been disturbed. Fishing boats even plumb the depths of the undersea canyons that slice into the slope using longlines bearing thousands of hooks.