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The Neritic Zone includes:
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Supratidal Zone
Intertidal Zone
Subtidal Zone
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Supratidal zone:
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Harsh conditions
Dry, only stenohaline (organisms that need low
salinity) organisms can live here
Air temperature determines zone temperature (not
water)
Water splashes from waves or wind sprays
One organism adaptation is to burrow
Above the high tide line
Salt grass, snakes, mice, ghost crabs
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Intertidal Zone:
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Area of great change
Waves spill over/breakers
Area of great adaptations for living with or without water
Tidal patterns determine temperature
Euphotic (light can go through the water)
Sessile (attached) benthic (bottom) organisms
Burrowing organisms
Adaptations to prevent drying out-close up/burrow
Adaptations to cling to rocks
Between the low tide line and the high tide line
Green algae, barnacles, tube worms
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Subtidal Zone:
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Always covered with water
Complete waves
High productivity (lots of biomass produced)
Lots of nutrients
Euphotic ( light goes through water)
Warm
Sessile (attached) and vagrant (move) benthic
(bottom) organisms
Nektonic (free swimming) and planktonic
(drifters) organisms
Lots of oil drilling here
Between the low tide line and the edge of the
continental shelf
Sailfish, dolphins, sea turtles, kelp
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Ocean Zone includes 4 smaller zones
These zones are determined by
availability of light
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Epipelagic Zone (The sunlight zone)
Mesopelagic Zone (The twilight zone)
Bathypelagic Zone (The midnight zone)
Abyssopelagic Zone (The Abyss zone)
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Epiupelagic Zone (The sunlight zone)
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Euphotic
Warm
Fewer nutrients
Nektonic (free swimming) and planktonic
(drifters) organisms
Complete waves
Extends from the continental shelf
Detritus (organic material) falls below like
snow
Lower productivity (production of biomass)
Sharks, whales, Sargassum seaweed
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Mesopelagic Zone (The twilight zone)
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Fading light/twilight/disphotic
Temperature drops rapidly/permanent
thermocline
Pressure increases
Nektonic and zooplankton
Less photosynthesis/ respiration continues
Detritus (organic material)/marine snow
Low productivity (production of biomass)
Zooplankton, squid
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Bathypelagic Zone (The midnight zone)
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Completely dark/aphotic
Isothermal (same temperature
throughout)/cold
Pressure great
Organisms adapted to pressure and no light
Nektonic
Detritus (organic material)/marine snow
Low productivity (production of biomass)
Angler fish
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Ayssopelagic Zone (The abyss zone)
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Completely dark/aphotic
Isothermal (same temperature throughout)/cold
Pressure greatest
Geothermal vents providing for chemosythetic
production of biomass
Higher productivity (production of biomass)
Marine debris (snow) accumulates
Special adaptations of organisms
Vagrant (move) benthic, nektonic,bacteria
Giant tube worms, blind crabs, chemosynthetic
bacteria