Continental Shelf
Depth: 120 m · Sunlight Zone
The continental shelf is the flat seafloor just off the coast. Here the water is often only up to 200 meters deep, then comes the shelf edge. Because so much sunlight reaches it, a rich variety of animals and plants lives here.
For scientists
The shelf is flooded continent: during the ice ages sea level sat about 120 m lower and much of it lay dry. Because sunlight reaches the bottom and rivers bring nutrients, shelf seas are the most productive zones of the ocean and supply most of the world catch. The shelf break sits almost everywhere at around 140 m depth.
Source: National Geographic
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