bathyal

[ bath-ee-uhl ]

adjective

, Oceanography.

1. of or relating to the biogeographic region of the ocean bottom between the sublittoral and abyssal zones: from depths of approximately 660 to 13,000 feet (200 to 4,000 meters).

bathyal

/ ˈbæθɪəl /

adjective

1. denoting or relating to an ocean depth of between 200 and 2000 metres (about 100 and 1000 fathoms), corresponding to the continental slope

bathyal

/ băth′ē-əl /

1. Relating to the region of the ocean bottom between the sublittoral and abyssal zones, from depths of approximately 200 to 2,000 m (656 to 6,560 ft).

Word History and Origins

Origin of bathyal¹

First recorded in 1925–30; bathy- + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Bathyal, relating to the deepest seas The bathyal depths of the ocean Hold creatures that will never see the sky.

From Washington Post

Warming oceans are expected to result in lower oxygen concentrations, with levels predicted to fall in bathyal seafloor habitats by up to 3.7%.

From The Guardian