Ocean ZonesMajor Zones:

Tidal Subtidal

Coral Reef

Open Ocean

Ocean Depths

2. Subtidal3. Coral Reef

4. Open Ocean5. Ocean Depths

1.Tidal

1. Tidal Zone-zone between high tide and low tide2 high tides/day AND 2 low tides/day

This means that the organisms living there MUST be adapted to survive being covered and uncovered by the water on a twice-daily basis.

Greatest variety of temperature and moisture conditions of all ZONES.

All of this EQUALS the most challenging of all ocean zones in which animals live and survive.

Terrapin TurtleGhost Crab Horseshoe Crab

2. Subtidal Zone- Zone just seaward of low tide

The organisms here are ALWAYS

covered with Water.

Temperatures and moisture conditions are more or less constant

The water is very shallow and is home to varied plants and animals. They risk predation by both land and

sea organisms.

Cliona celata

3. Coral Reef Zone

Coral (which are animals) coexist with algae so that is why coral reefs develop in shallower waters.

Found near equatorial regions because of the warmer temperatures.

Greatest variety of life found in the oceans

Specialized zone that tends to be shallow and warm.

Pineapple Coral Sea Slug

4. Open Ocean Zone

Much plankton (zoo and phyto) lives near the surface regions providing MOST of the food for the rest of the

organisms in the open ocean.

Area outside of the continental slope and above the deep ocean zone.

Krill is another species that dominates the region. Krill is an integral part of the food web. The biomass of krill in

the oceans is believed to rival the biomass of humans on earth.

Any material from the surface open ocean zone will eventually find itself on

the ocean floor as part of one of the most successful recycling

mechanisms on earth.

5. Ocean Depths Zone (aka Abyssal Zone)

Deep, dark, cold (about 3 degrees C) and under EXTRAORDINARY pressure (approx.

775 kilograms per square centimeter).

Includes areas from continental rise to oceanic ridges.

Strange/mysterious life exists there with atypical ocean chemistry.

Fang tooth

There is NO LIGHT so no PLANTS. Organisms feed on organic matter from

the surface and on each other….

SeapigAngler

Fish

Temperature Zones

equator Tropic

SubtropicTemperate

Boreal

Arctic

SubtropicTemperate

BorealArctic