The pelagic zone represents the broad mass of water, down as far as the depth to which no light penetrates. The littoral zone is the zone bordering the shore light penetrates easily and aquatic plants thrive. Lakes Īs with oceans, the benthic zone is the floor of the lake, composed of accumulated sunken organic matter. Generally, these include life forms that tolerate cool temperatures and low oxygen levels, but this depends on the depth of the water. įor information on animals that live in the deeper areas of the oceans see aphotic zone. Depending on the water-body, the benthic zone may include areas that are only a few inches below water, such as a stream or shallow pond at the other end of the spectrum, benthos of the deep ocean includes the bottom levels of the oceanic abyssal zone. įor comparison, the pelagic zone is the descriptive term for the ecological region above the benthos, including the water column up to the surface. The ocean floor is not all flat but has submarine ridges and deep ocean trenches known as the hadal zone. The deep-sea floor is called the abyssal plain and is usually about 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) deep. The continental slope drops down to the deep sea floor. At the continental shelf edge, usually about 200 metres (660 ft) deep, the gradient greatly increases and is known as the continental slope. The continental shelf is a gently sloping benthic region that extends away from the land mass. Thus, the region incorporates a great variety of physical conditions differing in: depth, light penetration and pressure. The benthic region of the ocean begins at the shore line ( intertidal or littoral zone) and extends downward along the surface of the continental shelf out to sea. Examples of contact soil layers include sand bottoms, rocky outcrops, coral, and bay mud.ĭescription Part of a series related to The benthic boundary layer, which includes the bottom layer of water and the uppermost layer of sediment directly influenced by the overlying water, is an integral part of the benthic zone, as it greatly influences the biological activity that takes place there. Organisms here generally live in close relationship with the substrate and many are permanently attached to the bottom. The name comes from ancient Greek, βένθος (bénthos), meaning "the depths." Organisms living in this zone are called benthos and include microorganisms (e.g., bacteria and fungi) as well as larger invertebrates, such as crustaceans and polychaetes. The benthic zone is the ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water such as an ocean, lake, or stream, including the sediment surface and some sub-surface layers.
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