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sublittoral zone
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Diagram showing ocean zonation by depth and region, with labeled layers: littoral, sublittoral, bathyal, abyssal, and hadal along the seafloor, and epipelagic, mesopelagic, bathypelagic, and abyssalpelagic in open water. The littoral zone is at the high-tide mark. Vertical scale marks photic and aphotic zones from surface to 10,000 meters.
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sublittoral zone

marine ecology
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Diagram showing ocean zonation by depth and region, with labeled layers: littoral, sublittoral, bathyal, abyssal, and hadal along the seafloor, and epipelagic, mesopelagic, bathypelagic, and abyssalpelagic in open water. The littoral zone is at the high-tide mark. Vertical scale marks photic and aphotic zones from surface to 10,000 meters.
Zonation of the ocean. The open ocean, the pelagic zone, includes all marine waters throughout the globe beyond the continental shelf, as well as the benthic, or bottom, environment on the ocean floor. Nutrient concentrations are low in most areas of the open ocean, and as a result this great expanse of water contains only a small percentage of all marine organisms. Far below the surface in the midocean ridges of the abyssal zone, deep-sea hydrothermal vents supporting an unusual assemblage of organisms—including chemoautotrophic bacteria—occur.

The sublittoral zone is a marine ecological area that extends from the low-tide mark to the edge of the continental shelf, typically at depths of 150 to 300 meters. This zone is characterized by the presence of sunlight, abundant dissolved oxygen, and nutrients, supporting a diverse range of marine life.12

The types of organisms found in the sublittoral zone depend on the geological nature of the seafloor and the degree of wave action. Rocky coasts may host firmly anchored seaweeds, mussels, and barnacles, while sandy or muddy bottoms teem with burrowing organisms like mollusks, worms, and echinoderms. This zone is part of the benthic environment, which refers to organisms living on or in the seafloor. Within the sublittoral zone, benthic producers like microalgae and macroalgae are abundant in the photic zone, where photosynthesis can occur.213

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4 Britannica Sources
  1. littoral zone
  2. marine ecosystem - Geography, oceanography, and topography
  3. marine ecosystem - Benthos
  4. mollusk - Habitats, feeding habits, and associations

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