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How does pressure change with ocean depth? Pressure increases with ocean depth. Search Our Facts
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More Information NOAA's Ocean Explorer (http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/welcome.html) Pisces V is a three-person submersible that can operate at depths up to 6,500 feet (2,000 meters). This vehicle allows scientists to observe the deep sea under tremendous ocean pressure. Last updated: 10/10/17 At sea level, the air that surrounds us presses down on our bodies at 14.5 pounds per square inch (1 bar). You don't feel it because the fluids in your body are pushing outward with the same force.
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Dive down into the ocean even a few feet, though, and a noticeable change occurs. You can feel an increase of pressure on your eardrums. This is due to an increase in hydrostatic pressure, the force per unit area exerted by a liquid on an object. The deeper you go under the sea, the greater the pressure of the water pushing down on you. For every 33 feet (10.06 meters) you go down, the
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pressure increases by 14.5 psi (1 bar). Many animals that live in the sea have no trouble at all with high pressure. Whales, for instance, can withstand dramatic pressure changes because their bodies are more flexible. Their ribs are bound by loose, bendable cartilage, which allows the rib cage to collapse at pressures that would easily snap our bones. A whale's lungs can also collapse safely under pressure, which keeps them from rupturing. This allows sperm whales to hunt for giant squid at depths of 7,000 feet (2,134 meters) or more.
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