Zones of the Ocean
We divide it up to study more
specific areas and the relevant
issues.
Zones by light
• Euphotic or
photic can be as
deep as 200m if
water is clear.
• Dysphotic is not
enough light to
do
photosynthesis.
Littoral zone with animals: note the
genus names
Questions?
• What is the name for spray zone where
high tide spashes up and gives it salt
water?
• What is another name for the littoral zone?
• What zone would a starfish be found?
• Why can’t a sponge do well in the littoral
zone?
• When would an organism at the “top” of
the littoral zone be under water?
Answers
•
•
•
•
Supralittoral zone; above littoral
Intertidal
Top of the sublittoral
Can never be exposed to the air even
when tides are really low.
• When there is a spring tide: bigger tide
due to sun/moon lining up.
Biomass/light/temp with depth
Study and answer questions on next page
Questions
• Is the water above the continental shelf included in
the epipelagic zone?
• Is the biomass/productivity greater at the top of
bottom of the epipelagic zone?
• Without looking, what temperature was the
thermocline for this picture?
• Is the mesopelagic zone: dysphotic, aphotic or
euphotic in nature?
• Put these five zones in order from deepest to the
surface: bathypelagic, epipelagic, hadalpelagic,
abyssopelagic, mesopelagic
Answers
• Yes
• Bottom, as the nutrients are more plentiful
below the surface and light is still
available.
• 500-1000m
• Generally dysphotic
• hadalpelagic, abyssopelagic, bathypelagic,
mesopelagic, epipelagic,
Beach sections
Questions
• Which beach zone would include the
littoral zone?
• Is the berm in the littoral or supralittoral
zone?
• What two “shores” are separated by the
berm?
• Swash zone
• Supralittoral zone
• Foreshore/backshore