The Ocean Habitat
The largest habitat on Earth:
makes up to 97 % of all livable
space on Earth
Land Influenced Zones
• Better known as: The Neritic Zone
• Shallow area of ocean water in which land
has an impact
• Coastal zones of the ocean
• Usually with 3-5 miles of coastline of
Continents
Land Un-Influenced Zones
• Better known as the: Pelagic zone
• Open ocean
• Land has no effect or little impact
• Majority of the oceans’ habitat
Pelagic or Open Water Zones
defined by Light
Pelagic Zones
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Epipelagic Zone—0-200 meters in depth
(all colors visible at first)
Mesopelagic Zone—200-1000 meters
(twilight zone: light and dark; no color)
Bathypelagic Zone—1000-4000 meters
(no sunlight visible from this depth and below)
Abyssopelagic Zone—4000-6000 meters
Hadalpelagic Zone—6000-10000 meters
Epipelagic zone adaptations
• Countershading
• Concealment (dermesal (dwelling near the
bottom) or vegetal (around plants) )
• Disruptive-stripes or dots
• Advertisement
• Mimicry-can mimic other animals
• Transparent
Adaptations:
As environments change –
Animals (marine and terrestrial ), bacteria,
fungi, insects, etc
MUST adapt or they will DIE off.
(The Dodo bird is
An excellent example.)
Variations in species can help (or
hurt) an animals chance to survive
Variations can allow
-Animals adapt better to a new
environment.
- Allow an animal to blend into it’s
environment.
- Provide a greater opportunity for an
animal to reproduce. (party time !)
Countershading – is a form of
adaptation.
Concealment--Camouflage
• Dermersal
(looks like a
rock.)
• Vegetal
(Looks like a
Plant)
Disruptive Patterns—such as stripes
or dots- allow the fish to con
Advertisement—brightly
colored--POISONOUS
Mimicry—Brightly Colored—NOT
poisonous
Epipelagic Adaptations
• Body Form—Streamed-lined
• Musculature-Strong Swimmers
• Size-All sizes found here
• Eyes-Well developed/large
Mesoplagic Adaptations
• Coloration
• Black with or without silvery sides
• Counter Illumination (glowing organs)
• Body formed: Relatively long but sides
squeezed in
Mesopelagic Adaptations
• Musculature: Moderately strong swimmers
some weak
• Eyes: Very Large Sensitive eyes
2 Biggest Challenges for Deep
Sea Life
• Scarcity or Lack of food; Must evolve way of
•
obtaining food that rarely gets there
Expandable stomachs or great smell
• Great Water pressure
• 33 ft of water equal same pressure as 36 miles
of air
Deep Pelagic Adaptations
(Bathypelagic-Hadalpelagic)
• Color: Black or red
– Bioluminscence-attract prey at times (organs
glow)
Deep Pelagic Adaptations
(Bathypelagic-Hadalpelagic)
• Shape-Globular (round shape)—Large
Head
• Musculature: Weak swimmers mainly
• Fins modified as sensory organs
• Size-Most small but some are large
• Eyes-Small or absent (eyes if using
bioluminescence)
Deep Pelagic
Benthic Zone—Life in the sand
• Coloration: Black or Brown
• Shape Elongated or flattened
• Strong Muscles (to borrow in sand)
• Size: Relatively Large
• Eyes: Small