Ocean Zones

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Email
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What country, region, or state are you joining us from?
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Key Vocabulary Terms

Review the key terms below in order to answer the quiz questions and unlock some of our favorite ocean zone photos!

Abyssopelagic: inhabiting the deepest parts of the sea where there is no light and temperatures hover around freezing, approximately 9,800-19,700 feet below the surface.

Adaptations: the adjustment or changes in behavior, physiology, and structure of an organism to become more suited to an environment.

Aphotic Zone: that part of the deep body of an ocean or lake that receives insufficient sunlight for photosynthesis to be possible.

Bathypelagic: inhabiting the deep sea where the environment is dark and cold, approximately 3,300-9,800 feet below the surface.

Benthic: relating to, or living or occurring at the bottom of a body of water.

Continental Shelf: the area of seabed around a large landmass where the sea is relatively shallow compared with the open ocean. The continental shelf is geologically part of the continental crust.

Epipelagic: of, relating to, or constituting the part of the oceanic zone into which enough light penetrates for photosynthesis.

Hadalpelagic: The bottommost layer of the oceanic zone, lying below the abyssopelagic zone at depths greater than about 19,680 ft. This zone consist of trenches and valleys found on the ocean floor.

Mesopelagic: inhabiting the intermediate depths of the sea, approximately 650-3,300 feet below the surface.

Ocean Zones: the region of the open sea beyond the edge of the continental shelf, where the depth is greater than 650 feet.

Pelagic: relating to, or living or occurring in the open sea

Photic Zone: the upper layer of a body of water delineated by the depth to which enough sunlight can penetrate to permit photosynthesis.
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Place the ocean zones in order from the top of the water column to the ocean floor.
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From the top of the water column, the zone starts with the Epipelagic Zone, Mesopelagic Zone, Bathypelagic Zone, Abyssopelagic Zone, and Hadalpelagic Zone. Image copyright Sea and Sky
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At which zone does the intensity of light rapidly dissipates as depth increases?
Epipelagic Zone
Hadalpelagic Zone
Mesopelagic Zone
Abyssopelagic Zone
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The Mesopelagic Zone is where the intensity of light rapidly dissipates as depth increases! Light penetrates the first 650 feet of the ocean, known as the photic zone. In this zone, photosynthesis can happen easily. As you continue past this zone, light dissipates and makes the process of photosynthesis unable to occur. Image credit: Helpteaching.com
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Does pressure increase as depth increases in the ocean?
YESNO
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Yes, pressure does increase as depth increases in the ocean!With about each 32 feet of sea-water, another atmosphere of pressure is added!Image copyright Tec-Science
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Which type of visible light (color) penetrates the least and penetrates the deepest?
Red, Blue
Red, Purple
Blue, Orange
Yellow, Green
Blue, Red
Purple, Red
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Red is the visible light (color) that penetrates the least and blue is the visible light (color) that penetrates the deepest. Red has long wavelengths and less energy where blue has short wavelengths and more energy. Image credit The University of Minnesota Sea Grant Program
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How much of the Earth's oxygen is produced by the ocean?
20%
45%
70%
85%
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The ocean makes up about 70% of the Earth's oxygen! Organisms called phytoplankton produce a majority of the Earth's oxygen through a process called photosynthesis. Image copyright NOAA
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