The Ocean Bottom 27 
are to be found near the land. They are indicated by ab- 
breviations that have come more or less into general use: 
.TYPES OF BOTTOM IN SHALLOW WATER 
Clay Cl; Fine fne. 
Coral Co. Coarse crs. 
Gravel G Stiff stf. 
Mud M. Soft SEG; 
Rocky rky. Black bk. 
Sand 5 Red rd. 
Shells Sh. Yellow PAyE 
Stones St. Gray gy. 
Weed Wd. 
Beyond the 100 fathom mark, however, is another zone 
where the action of waves does not penetrate, and where 
currents are slight. Here the sea bottom remains unchanged 
for ages. The deeper parts of the ocean are covered with 
deep sea oozes or red clay. They have been accumulating for 
long periods of time, periods not measured in centuries, but 
in hundreds of centuries. 
OODLES O’ OOZE 
The deep sea oozes are the slimy remains of myriads of 
tiny sea animals and plants whose dead bodies are always 
raining down from their home at the surface into the dark- 
ness of the depths below. These small floating beings are col- 
lectively called plankton and are by far the most numerous 
of all forms of ocean life. A fine net dragged through the sea 
will catch large quantities of them. They provide the basic 
diet for larger ocean animals, and as a matter of fact are 
edible for humans as well. Depending upon the kind of ani- 
