The Seafloor | Smithsonian Ocean

White and red tube worms reach up from the deep sea floor.

A map of the Mid Ocean Ridge

Mapping the Seafloor

Learn about one scientist's pursuit of creating one of the first maps of the seafloor.

Read More

Featured Content

the titanic underwater

Video

The Titanic Wrecksite

A screenshot from the video "Integrated Ocean Drilling Program" showing the front of a research vessel moving through water.

Video

Integrated Ocean Drilling Program

Screenshot from video of an aerial view of the ocean drilling vessel Chikyu.

Video

The Ocean Drilling Vessel Chikyu

Colorful corals and brittlestars on Manning Seamount off the New England coast.

Article

Seamounts: Underwater Oases

It is estimated that the March 11, 2011 earthquake in Japan was 1,000 times more powerful than the quake that struck Haiti in 2010. Watch as Smithsonian geologist Dr. Liz Cottrell explains this and more about the major earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Video

Understanding the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

Are You An Educator?

At Smithsonian Ocean, we have lesson plans, activities, and resources to help you engage your students in the wonders of our oceans.

see all lesson plans see seafloor lesson plans

The Seafloor Articles

Colorful corals and brittlestars on Manning Seamount off the New England coast.

Article

Seamounts: Underwater Oases

Where the pH is the lowest, corals can no longer grow - sand, rubble and seagrasses replace the reef.

Article

Sneak Peek: Future of Coral Reefs in an Acidifying Ocean

a colored shakemap from the M5.8 Virginia Earthquake depicts the shake range and epicenter of the earthquake

Article

A Guide to Earthquake Lesson Plans

Intense volcanic CO2 vents in Ili Ili Bua Bua, Normanby Island, Papua New Guinea.

Slideshow

Will Coral Reefs Survive Acidification?

A screenshot from video showing an illustration of a satellite view of Earth.

Video

Just How Big Is the Ocean?

Screenshot from video of an aerial view of the ocean drilling vessel Chikyu.

Video

The Ocean Drilling Vessel Chikyu

as sea turtle at the surface

Video

Exploring Ocean Life with an Underwater Vehicle

A map of the Mid Ocean Ridge

Article

Making a Mark on the Ocean Floor

Dive through the zones of the ocean to the deep ocean bottom where many strange species live, and there are many yet to be discovered. Explore them in the Deep Ocean Exploration section.

Article

What We DON'T Know About the Deep Sea

Positioned in front of a natural oil seep, this video camera is capturing images of the black oil bubbling up from beneath the sea floor. A light mounted to the frame helps see what is happening in the dark on the sea floor.

Article

How Oil Feeds the Deep Sea

Coral scientist Dr. Amy Baco-Taylor observed corals like these on her first submarine dive to a deep-sea coral bed off the coast of Hawaii.

Overview

Deep-sea Corals

red worms penetrate holes in bone

Article

Zombie Worms Crave Bone