What is the climate of the pelagic zone?

What is the climate of the pelagic zone?

The water temperature stays fairly constant down here between about 2-4 degrees C, (about 35-39 degrees F).

What happens in the pelagic zone?

pelagic zone, ecological realm that includes the entire ocean water column. The phytoplankton, which constitute the food base of all marine animals, are microscopic organisms that inhabit only the sunlit uppermost oceanic layer, using sunlight to photosynthetically combine carbon dioxide and dissolved nutrient salts.

What are the 2 main factors when dividing the pelagic environments into different zones?

One is the amount of nutrients in the water. Another is the amount of sunlight that reaches the water. These conditions depend mainly on two factors: distance from shore and depth of water. Oceans are divided into zones (Figure below) based on these two factors.

Where is the pelagic zone?

The pelagic zone is the part of the open sea or ocean comprising the water column, i.e., all of the sea other than that near the coast or the sea floor. In contrast, the demersal zone comprises the water that is near to (and is significantly affected by) the coast or the sea floor.

Where are pelagic zones found?

ocean
The pelagic zone is the area of the ocean outside of coastal areas. This is also called the open ocean. The open ocean lies over and beyond the continental shelf. It’s where you’ll find some of the biggest marine life species.

Why is the pelagic zone so important?

The availability of sunlight near the top of the water’s surface leads to a greater abundance of life in the uppermost levels of the pelagic zone. Species of plankton that produce their own food (using the same process as plants) thrive there, leading many fish species to linger near the surface.

What are the different pelagic zones?

The pelagic zone is divided into epipelagic, mesopelagic, bathypelagic, abyssopelagic, and hadopelagic zones.

How much sunlight is in the pelagic zone?

The pelagic zone is divided into zones based on light penetration from the surface: Epipelagic (sunlight; 0-200m) Mesopelagic (twilight; 200-1,000m)

Where does the pelagic zone start?

open ocean

How do humans impact the pelagic zone?

Few human impacts: overfishing, marine pollution, climate change, building on coastal areas. Cause resource depletions, low biological growth rates, and low biomass levels, as a result from overfishing.