Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors.
Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker.
Mesopelagic zone
| Aquatic layers |
|---|
| Stratification |
| See also |
The mesopelagic zone (Greek μέσον, middle), also known as the middle pelagic or twilight zone, is the part of the pelagic zone that lies between the photic epipelagic and the aphotic bathypelagic zones.[1] It is defined by light, and begins at the depth where only 1% of incident light reaches and ends where there is no light; the depths of this zone are between approximately 200 to 1,000 meters (~656 to 3,280 feet) below the ocean surface.[1]
The mesopelagic zone occupies about 60% of the planet's surface and about 20% of the ocean's volume, amounting to a large part of the total biosphere.[2] It hosts a diverse biological community that includes bristlemouths, blobfish, bioluminescent jellyfish, giant squid, and a myriad of other unique organisms adapted to live in a low-light environment.[3] It has long captivated the imagination of scientists, artists and writers; deep sea creatures are prominent in popular culture.[4]
- ^ a b del Giorgio, Paul A.; Duarte, Carlos M. (28 November 2002). "Respiration in the open ocean". Nature. 420 (6914): 379–384. Bibcode:2002Natur.420..379D. doi:10.1038/nature01165. hdl:10261/89751. PMID 12459775. S2CID 4392859.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
ICES2021was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
:12was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Hackett, Jon; Harrington, Seán, eds. (2018-02-02). Beasts of the Deep. John Libbey Publishing. doi:10.2307/j.ctt20krz85. ISBN 9780861969395.
Previous Page Next Page
