![]() ![]() ![]() The epipelagic zone is a very thin layer. In either case, the abundance of food is the primary factor. Although the endemic species of the epipelagic zone either do not migrate or perform only limited vertical migrations, there are many animals which invade the epipelagic zone from deeper layers during the night or pass their early developmental stages in the photic zone. The essential ecological feature of the photic zone is that the animals live in the same environment with the primary food source, the phytoplankton, whereas in the lower layers there is no primary production by plants. 1).Īt the surface, light is the dominant factor in the epipelagic zone. As a generalized example we may consider a tropical or subtropical area (Fig. This is especially true because the organisms of even the deepest trenches are dependent on the biological conditions of the overlying water masses, to the very surface of the ocean. It is in this region that we start to see bioluminescent fish and all sorts of bizarre looking fish.As an introduction to the description of the life in the deeps and abyssal depths of the sea it may be useful to consider the main features of ecological zonation of the oceanic depths. Larger fish like, whales and giant squid dive to these depths to feed. The light that reaches this zone is pretty faint. ![]() This zone extends from 700 feet down to about 3,280 feet. Photoplankton is responsible for almost half of the earth’s oxygen released in the atmosphere. Most marine animals live in this zone and feed off of photoplankton (the basis of the ocean food chain) and smaller fish. This is where the wide range of temperatures occur. ![]() This is where most of the visible light is and with light comes heat. This zone extends from the surface down to about 700 feet. The sunlight zone, the twilight zone, the midnight zone, the abyss and the trenches. The ocean water column is made up of 5 zones. In this blog, we will explore the layers of the ocean and what types of marine life resides in those layers. It is because of these elements that certain sections of the ocean only contain certain marine animals. In fact, sections of the water column in the ocean are differentiated by pressure, light, temperature, oxygen and mineral nutrients. Since the ocean is on average 3 miles deep, it may not surprise you that the water column is not uniform. In a previous blog, we talked about the depth of the ocean. ![]()
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