What are the Different Layers of the Ocean?
Open ocean, significantly distant from the continental shelves, is collectively known as the pelagic zone of the ocean. The name is derived from the Greek pélagos which means “open ocean”. The pelagic zone is divided into five sub-zones of increasing depth: the epipelagic zone, mesopelagic zone, bathypelagic zone, abyssoplegic zone, and — reserved for deep sea trenches only — the hadeoplegic zone. The epipelagic zone extends from the surface down to 200 meters (656 ft), and is the brightest of the zones (and one of the only two with much light at all). This is where most of the familiar creatures of the sea hang out, like much of the fish we eat and the coral reefs which catch our ships by surprise. The area is rich with photosynthesizing microorganisms, which are consumed by larger organisms all the way up the food chain to creatures like sharks. The name “epipelagic” roughly means “top zone of the ocean.” The mesopelagic zone (from 200 m down to around 1,000 m or 3,280 feet) is the t
Did you know that if you took a trip to the bottom of the ocean, you would pass through several layers? First you would pass through the sunlit shallow water, where you can see many beautiful fish and plants. After about 200 metres however, you will enter the twilight zone. It is shady here, and there will be fewer fish and plants because there is less sunlight. Below 1000 metres, you will enter the dark zone. It is quite scary here because it is cold and the water appears black. Yet even here, there will be some strange looking creatures like tube worms, which feed on the bacteria that are present in the water. Occasionally, you may see tiny pinpoints of light. This light is produced in the skin of some animals which live here, and is called bioluminescence.
