An ocean bank , sometimes referred to as a fishing bank or simply bank , is a part of the seabed that is shallow compared to its surrounding area, such as a shoal or the top of an underwater hill . Somewhat like continental slopes , ocean bank slopes can upwell as tidal and other flows intercept them, sometimes resulting in nutrient-rich currents. Because of this, some large banks, such as Dogger Bank and the Grand Banks of Newfoundland , are among the richest fishing grounds in the world.
5-745: Benham Bank is an ocean bank in the Philippine Sea . It is the shallowest point of Benham Rise , which is wholly part of the territory of the Philippines . With an area of around 170 square kilometers (66 sq mi), the Benham Bank only forms 1 percent of the Benham Rise . It is the shallowest point of the larger underwater plateau at 48 to 70 meters (157 to 230 ft) below sea level. Benham Bank hosts at least 200 species of fish, including commercially important fish such as
10-584: The blue fin tuna . At the mesophotic zone or around 150 meters (490 ft) of the ocean bank, sponges and algae such as Halimeda green macroalgae have been observed. Expeditions in 2014 and 2016 revealed a mesophotic coral reef with 100% live coral cover. Marine scientists from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the University of the Philippines (UP) conducted research in
15-463: The Benham Bank in 2016. They boarded the government ship MV DA-BFAR for their research. Their remotely operated vehicle as well as technical diver-videographers were provided by Oceana Philippines. BFAR and UP also conducted research in 2014. Local environmental groups have urged the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to declare the Benham Bank as a "no-take" zone to legally protect
20-495: The feature's biodiversity by limiting "human activity". Ocean bank There are some banks that were reported in the 19th century by navigators, such as Wachusett Reef , whose existence is doubtful. Ocean banks may be of volcanic nature. Banks may be carbonate or terrigenous . In tropical areas some banks are submerged atolls . As they are not associated with any landmass , banks have no outside source of sediments . Carbonate banks are typically platforms, rising from
25-468: The ocean depths, whereas terrigenous banks are elevated sedimentary deposits. Seamounts , by contrast, are mountains rising from the deep sea and are steeper and higher in comparison to the surrounding seabed . Examples of these are Pioneer and Guide Seamounts, west of the Farallon Islands . The Pioneer Seamount has a depth of 1,000 meters, In other cases, parts of a bank may reach above
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