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A sunny beach

Ocean Zones Learning


The Cool Facts

Zone Name Depth Range Water Temp Pressure Level Light Level Resident Species Marine Features
Epipelagic (Sunlight) 0 – 200m Warmest (20°C+) Lowest (1 atm) 100% Sunlight Tuna, Sharks, Jellyfish Coral reefs, Phytoplankton
Mesopelagic (Twilight) 200 – 1,000m Rapid drop (4°C – 20°C) Increasing (up to 100 atm) Faint Light Squid, Swordfish, Lanternfish Thermocline layer
Bathypelagic (Midnight) 1,000 – 4,000m Constant Cold (~4°C) High (up to 400 atm) 0% (Bioluminescence) Anglerfish, Giant Squid Whale falls, Detritus
Abyssopelagic (Abyss) 4,000 – 6,000m Near Freezing (2°C – 3°C) Very High (up to 600 atm) Perpetual Darkness Tripod Fish, Sea Pigs Abyssal plains
Hadalpelagic (Trenches) 6,000 – 11,000m Just above freezing Extreme Pressure Complete Darkness Snailfish, Amphipods Deep sea trenches
Demersal (Near Floor) Varies (Above bed) Varies by depth Varies by depth Minimal to None Ray, Flatfish, Cod Benthic boundary layer
Benthic (Ocean Floor) The Seafloor Cold/Geothermal Maximum for depth Dark/Chemo-chemical Crabs, Coral, Sea Urchins Hydrothermal vents