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Scale diagram of the layers of the pelagic zone.
The pelagic zone is the part of the open sea or ocean that is not near the coast. In contrast, the neritic zone comprises the water that is near to (and is significantly affected by) the coast or the continental shelf. The name is derived from the Greek πέλαγος (pélagos), which might be roughly translated as "sea" but is more accurately translated as "open sea." When used on its own, "pelagic" describes something that exists in the open sea as opposed to inland or coastal waters.

Sub-sections of the pelagic zone

The pelagic zone (also known as the open-ocean zone) is further divided into sections, creating a number of sub-zones, based on their different ecological characteristics (which is roughly a function of depth):
  • Epipelagic (from the surface down to around 200 m) (656 feet) - the illuminated surface zone where there is enough light for photosynthesis. Due to this, plants and animals are largely concentrated in this zone. Here one will typically encounter fish such as tuna and many sharks,as well as colorful dolphinfish & jellies.
  • Mesopelagic (from 200 m down to around 1,000 m) (3,280 feet) - the twilight zone. Although some light penetrates this deep, it is insufficient for photosynthesis. The name stems from Greek μέσον, middle. Animals such as swordfish, squids, wolffish, a few species of cuttlefish, and other semi-deepsea creatures live here.
  • Bathypelagic (from 1,000 m down to around 4,000 m) (13,123 feet) - by this depth the ocean is almost entirely dark (with only the occasional bioluminescent organism,such as lanternfish). There are no living plants, and most animals survive by consuming the snow of detritus falling from the zones above, or (like the marine hatchetfish by preying upon others. Giant squid (as well as smaller squids & dumbo octopi ) live at this depth, and here they are hunted by deep-diving sperm whales. From Greek βαθύς (bathys), deep.
  • Abyssopelagic (from 4,000 m down to above the ocean floor) - no light whatsoever penetrates to this depth, and most creatures are blind and colourless. The name is derived from the Greek άβυσσος (ábyssos), abyss, meaning bottomless (a holdover from the times when the deep ocean was believed to be bottomless).
  • Hadopelagic (the deep water in ocean trenches) - the name is derived from Hades, the classical Greek underworld. This zone is mostly unknown and very few species are known to live here (in the open areas). However, many organisms live in hydrothermal vents in this and other zones.
The bathypelagic, abyssopelagic, and hadopelagic zones are very similar in character, and some marine biologists elide them into a single zone or consider the latter two to be the same. Some define the hadopelagic as waters below 6,000 meters (19,685 feet), whether in a trench or not.

See also

External links

The three-letter acronym SEA may refer to:
  • Scientists and Engineers for America, a pro-science political advocacy group.
  • Schoof-Elkies-Atkin algorithm
  • Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (IATA: SEA, ICAO: KSEA)
  • Sea Education Association

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Earth's oceans
(World Ocean)
  • Arctic Ocean
  • Atlantic Ocean
  • Indian Ocean
  • Pacific Ocean
  • Southern Ocean
An ocean (from Ωκεανός, Okeanos
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coast is defined as the part of the land adjoining or near the ocean. A coastline is properly a line on a map indicating the disposition of a coast, but the word is often used to refer to the coast itself.
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Neritic zone spans from the low-tide line to the edge of the continental shelf in oceans. This region receives ample sunlight and extends to a depth of about 200 meters (656 feet), where the bottom is covered with seaweed.
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Greek}}} 
Writing system: Greek alphabet 
Official status
Official language of:  Greece
 Cyprus
 European Union
recognised as minority language in parts of:
 European Union
 Italy
 Turkey
Regulated by:
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The photic zone or euphotic zone (Greek 'well lit') is the depth of the water whether in a lake or an ocean, that is exposed to sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis to occur. The depth of the euphotic zone can be greatly affected by seasonal turbidity.
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1 metre =
SI units
1000 mm 0 cm
US customary / Imperial units
0 ft 0 in
The metre or meter[1](symbol: m) is the fundamental unit of length in the International System of Units (SI).
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Tuna are several species of ocean-dwelling fish in the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. Some tuna are able to inhabit freshwater environs as well. Tunas are fast swimmers—they have been clocked at 77 km/h (48 mph)—and include several species that
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SHARK

General
Vincent Rijmen, Joan Daemen, Bart Preneel, Antoon Bosselaers, Erik De Win
1996

KHAZAD, Rijndael

Cipher detail
Key size(s):| 128 bits

Block size(s):| 64 bits
Substitution-permutation network
6

In cryptography,
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Coryphaenidae

Genus: Coryphaena
Linnaeus, 1758

Species
See text.

The Coryphaenidae, also called the dolphinfishes, are a family of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the Order Perciformes.
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Jelly may refer to:
  • Fruit preserves, referred to as jelly in American English, though also called jam, clear fruit spread consisting of firmed fruit (or vegetable) juice made with pectin

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The mesopelagic (Greek μέσον, middle) (also known as the middle pelagic or twilight zone) is a pelagic zone extending from 200 m down to around 1000 m below sea level.
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Xiphiidae

Genus: Xiphias

Species: X. gladius

Binomial name
Xiphias gladius
Linnaeus, 1758


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For other uses, see Squid (disambiguation).


Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUID) are very sensitive magnetometers used to measure extremely small magnetic fields, based on superconducting loops
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Anarhichadidae
Bonaparte, 1846

Genera

Anarhichas
Anarrhichthys
See text for species.
The wolffishes are a family, Anarhichadidae, of perciform fishes.
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Sepiida
Zittel, 1895

Suborders and Families
  • †Vasseuriina
  • †Vasseuriidae
  • †Belosepiellidae
  • Sepiina

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The bathyal zone or bathypelagic is the pelagic zone that extends from a depth of 1000 to 4000 meters below the ocean surface. It lies between the mesopelagic above, and the abyssopelagic below.
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Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism as the result of a chemical reaction during which chemical energy is converted to light energy.
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Myctophidae

Genera

Benthosema
Bolinichthys
Centrobranchus
Ceratoscopelus
Diaphus
Diogenichthys
Electrona
Gonichthys
Gymnoscopelus
Hintonia
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marine snow is a continuous shower of mostly organic detritus falling from the upper layers of the water column. Its origin lies in activities within the productive photic zone.
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In biology, detritus is non-living particulate organic material (as opposed to dissolved organic material). It typically includes the bodies of dead organisms or fragments of organisms or faecal material.
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Sternoptychinae

Genera

Argyropelecus
Polypipnus
Sternoptyx

Marine hatchetfish are big, deep-sea bathypelagic fish of the family Sternoptychidae, together with bottlelights, pearlsides and constellationfish.
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Architeuthidae
Pfeffer, 1900

Genus: Architeuthis
Steenstrup in Harting, 1860

Species
  • Architeuthis dux Steenstrup, 1857
  • ?Architeuthis hartingii Verrill, 1875
  • ?

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For other uses, see Squid (disambiguation).


Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUID) are very sensitive magnetometers used to measure extremely small magnetic fields, based on superconducting loops
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Grimpoteuthis
Robson, 1932

Species

14, see text

The octopuses of the genus Grimpoteuthis are also known as "Dumbo octopuses" from the ear-like fins protruding from the top of their "heads" (actually bodies), resembling the ears of
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Physeter

Species: P. macrocephalus

Binomial name
Physeter macrocephalus
Linnaeus, 1758


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The abyssal zone is the pelagic zone that contains the very deep benthic communities near the bottom of oceans. Abyss is from the Greek word meaning bottomless sea. At depths of 4,000 to 6,000 meters (13,123 to 19,685 feet), this zone remains in perpetual darkness and never
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Abyss may mean:

Sciences and philosophy
  • Abyssal zone, the deepest extent of the sea.
  • Abyssal plain, a flat area on the ocean floor.
  • Abyss (religion), is a bottomless depth.

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“Hadal” redirects here. For the album by Velcra, see Hadal (album).


Hadal zone (or Hadopelagic zone) is the delineation for the deepest trenches in the ocean.
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