What are pelagic organisms?
Pelagic organisms are those that live in the water column, either actively swimming (nektonic) or passively floating with the currents (planktonic). 44. What are phytoplankton and zooplankton? How are they different from the nekton? Phytoplankton are the autotrophic portion of the plankton, and zooplankton are the heterotrophic portion of the plankton. Planktonic organisms swim weakly or not at all and are moved primarily by ocean currents. The nekton, in contrast, are the swimming organisms of the ocean—those that can swim against currents. 45. Fill in the diagram below using the terms: benthos, plankton, phytoplankton, zooplankton, nekton, mobile, and sessile. 46. Describe the zonation in the benthic ocean by depth. The shallowest part of the continental shelf, right where the land meets the sea, is the intertidal or littoral zone. This is the area that is exposed to the air at low tide and covered by water at high tide. Benthic organisms that live below the intertidal zone and on th
