Scripps Institution of Oceanography

The book cites data on the fauna in deep-sea trenches and demonstrates the conditions for existence in them of deep-sea organisms. It correlates information regarding all the biological research conducted by Soviet and foreign expeditions from 1875 to 1985. Complete lists are given of the animals (from Protozoa to fish) that are known from depths over 6 km, over 800 species with an indication of their habitat depth and geographical dissemination. The unique nature of the animal world in the trenches, the reasons for its originality, questions of the evolution and origin of the trench fauna, and data on its zoogeographical zoning are discussed.