What is the Monterey Canyon marine ecoregion?
Monterey Canyon cuts into California’s coast, deeper than the Grand Canyon is tall. Its steep walls and channels are shaped by powerful currents. Nutrient-rich waters here support unique deep-sea animals. It is also one of the world’s most studied marine canyons.
Related video
In context
What it is
Monterey Canyon cuts into California’s coast, deeper than the Grand Canyon is tall. Its steep walls and channels are shaped by powerful currents. Nutrient-rich waters here support unique deep-sea animals. It is also one of the world’s most studied marine canyons.
Why it matters
Monterey Canyon is useful for understanding how biodiversity, environmental conditions, and human pressures come together in one marine region.
Ocean Literacy Connections
This resource can be explored through One ocean, many features and Ocean still unexplored.
- How do different ocean places belong to one connected system?
- Why is so much of the ocean still unknown, and how do people explore it?
Explore and connect
Open the ecoregions view to compare regional boundaries, biodiversity context, and related ocean systems.