Zones of the Ocean

Sydny Merrill

5th Period

Mrs. Tedrow

• Extends from the low tide to the Continental Shelf- about 200 meters

• Free-floating creatures live here such as shrimp and plankton

• Great fishing area and place where people water ski and “play”

Life in the Neritic Zone:

• 90% of aquatic animals live here- extends about 660 feet down

• Photosynthesis can only occur in this zone

• A variety of animals including sharks, tuna, seals, jellyfish, sea lions, sea turtles, sting rays, mackerels, and much more

• Counter shading, when an animal is light on bottom and dark on top is used for camouflage

• Includes Neritic zone

Epipelagic life:

• Zones depth reaches to 3,300 ft

• Some light but, not enough for plant growth

• Life has to adapt to pressure and dark and cold waters

• Animals include squid, octopus, and hatchet fish

• Also called Twilight Zone

Mesopelagic Zone

Life in the Mesopelagic:

Bathypelagic Zone• Only about 1% of the oceans

animals inhabits this harsh zone• Water depths reach to around

20,000 ft• The pressure is immense, almost

no light penetrates this deep, and it is freezing cold.

• Some organisms include vampire squid, giant squid, amphipod, slime stars, snake dragon fish, anglerfish, oarfish, and gulper eel

Life in the Bathypelagic Zone:

• Some fish and crustaceans living there are blind or have bioluminescence

• ¾ of ocean floor lie in the Abyssal zone

• Once again extreme pressure, low temperatures, and no light

• No light reaches this deep so organisms use bioluminescence

• Life is difficult and there is extreme pressure, low temperatures, and no light

• Depths reach from 20,000 feet to the bottom of the trenches

• Creatures include jellyfish, viperfish, tubeworms, clams, and the deep sea angler fish

Hadopelagic Zone

Life in the Hadopelagic Zone:

*All clips came off of Google Images or me making them in Microsoft paint