the sometimes-steep descent of a continental shelf to the ocean floor.

The relatively steep portion of the sea bottom between the outer edge of the continental shelf and the deep ocean basin. continuous feeder

The seaward slope beyond the continental shelf. It extends downward to the ocean basin.

the region between the continental shelf and the deep-ocean floor

the area of the sea floor that stretches from the edge of the continental shelf (~200 m) to the abyssal plain (~4000-6000 m). This is a steep slope to deep water.

The steeply sloping seabed from the outer edge of the continental shelf to the continental rise

The slope seaward from the shelf edge to the beginning of a continental rise or the point where there is a general reduction in slope.

The steeply sloping seabed from the outer edge of the continental shelf to the continental rise

The area of ocean where the continental shelf becomes steeper and drops off to deeper waters of the ocean (image by Office of Naval Research).

The area of descent from the edge of the continental shelf into greater depth.

A relatively steep, narrow feature paralleling the continental shelf--the region in which the steepest descent to the ocean bottom occurs.

beyond the shelf, the slope descends more steeply into the ocean shelf