In this work, the authors discuss the geographical distribution, biota and ecological significance of the Continental Shelf. The topics include the sea bottoms of the Continental Shelf of the Naples Bay in Southern Italy and its inferences on the volcanic and sedimentary processes on stratigraphic architecture; the geomorphological characteristics of the submerged topography along the Egyptian Red Sea Coast; and the benthic boundary layer (Bbl) of the macrofaunal communities structure over oligotrophic continental shelves.