Parts of the Ocean

Photic Zone:
• the top zone of the ocean where sunlight can penetrate and photosynthetic producers like algae can be found

Aphotic Zone:

• a permanently dark zone below the photic zone where light cannot penetrate. Any producers in this zone are chemosynthetic autotrophs.

Intertibal Zone:

• The area along coast lines that is exposed during low tides, but covered with water during high tides.

Coastal Ocean:

• The area extending from the low-tide line to the edge of the continental shelf which is usually w/i the photic zone.

Coral Reef:

• The areas in warm shallow waters that produce structures made from the calcium tons of coral animals.


Open Ocean:
• The area from the edge of the continental shelf outward.


Benthic Zone:

• The ocean floor of the coastal ocean and the open ocean.


Five layers of the Ocean:

Epipelagic Zone - The surface layer of the ocean is known as the epipelagic zone and extends from the surface to 200 meters (656 feet). It is also known as the sunlight zone because this is where most of the visible light exists.

Mesopelagic Zone - the mesopelagic zone, extending from 200 meters (656 feet) to 1000 meters (3281 feet). The mesopelagic zone is sometimes referred to as the twilight zone or the midwater zone.

Bathypelagic Zone - The bathypelagic zone, it is sometimes referred to as the midnight zone or the dark zone. This zone extends from 1000 meters (3281 feet) down to 4000 meters (13,124 feet).

Abyssopelagic Zone - the abyssopelagic zone, also known as the abyssal zone or simply as the abyss. It extends from 4000 meters (13,124 feet) to 6000 meters (19,686 feet).

Hadalpelagic Zone - Beyond the abyssopelagic zone lies the forbidding hadalpelagic zone. This layer extends from 6000 meters (19,686 feet) to the bottom of the deepest parts of the ocean. These areas are mostly found in deep water trenches and canyons. The deepest point in the ocean is located in the Mariana Trench off the coast of Japan at 35,797 feet (10,911 meters).