Knowra Oceanic zone Oceanic zone The oceanic zone is the part of the sea beyond the continental shelf, extending across the open ocean. It contrasts with the shallow, shelf-associated neritic zone.
Neritic zone : The marine region over the continental shelf, from the low-tide line to the shelf’s outer edge. It is the shelf-associated zone directly contrasted with the oceanic zone.
Epipelagic zone : The sunlit upper layer of the open ocean, extending roughly from the surface to 200 meters. It is the oceanic zone’s surface layer, where photosynthesis can occur.
Oceanic dolphins : Dolphin species that primarily inhabit offshore waters rather than coastal habitats. They are characteristic mammals of open-ocean ecosystems.
High seas fishing : Commercial fishing conducted in international waters beyond national jurisdiction. It targets mobile species across the oceanic zone’s far-reaching waters.
Continental shelf : The submerged, gently sloping edge of a continent, extending from the coast to the shelf break. Its outer edge marks the boundary between neritic and oceanic waters.
Mesopelagic zone : The dimly lit open-ocean layer, generally 200 to 1,000 meters deep. It lies below the sunlit surface and hosts daily vertical migrations.
Oceanic whitetip shark : A large pelagic shark found in warm, tropical and subtropical open oceans. Its offshore habitat illustrates the zone’s wide-ranging predators.
Bycatch : The unintended capture of species during fishing operations. Open-ocean fishing can unintentionally capture sharks, turtles, and seabirds.
Pelagic zone : The water column of the sea, apart from the seabed and shore. The oceanic zone is the offshore portion of this broader water-column region.
Bathypelagic zone : The dark open-ocean layer, generally 1,000 to 4,000 meters deep. It shows how conditions change in the oceanic zone’s deeper waters.
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