What are the submerged benches that continue outward from the shoreline called?

The submerged benches that extend outward from the shoreline are known as continental shelves. These geographical features are typically shallow areas surrounding continents and can stretch for hundreds of kilometers. They are significant because they are rich in marine life and are often sites for fishing and resource extraction.

Continental shelves are characterized by their relatively gentle slopes compared to the steep decline of the continental slope that follows them. The continental shelf is part of the continental margin, which also includes the continental slope and continental rise. The other options, such as ocean basins, refer to deep areas of the ocean that are not associated with coastal regions and are typically located further from the shore. Similarly, continental slopes are the steep slopes leading down from the continental shelf to the ocean floor, and island arcs refer to chains of islands formed by volcanic activity in subduction zones, which do not pertain to the submerged bench concept. Thus, continental shelves are the correct term for these submerged extensions from shorelines.