Issue Date: October 2, 2000
City: Monterey, CA
Quantity: 53,000,000
Printed by: American Packaging Corp. for Sennett Security Products
Printing Method: Photogravure
Perforations: 10 x 10 ¼
Color: Multicolored

Some of the world's most bizarre creatures live in the deep sea. Although it covers nearly two thirds of Earth, only about one percent of the area has been explored. It was suspected that life could not exist in this habitat, which includes waters more than 3,300 feet below sea level. Temperatures hover at 34 to 39 degrees Fahrenheit; the many tons of pressure exerted from the water above are enough to crush creatures that live on the surface; and food is scarce. Scientists now believe the deep sea might support just as much life as tropical rain forests and coral reefs.