Zoning In

Sunlit Zone
Zoning In 0-650 ft

Why is Earth called the

Blue Planet? It’s because
the world’s five oceans
(the Pacific, Atlantic,
Indian, Southern and
Arctic) cover two thirds Twilight Zone
650-3,300 ft
of its surface.

The oceans support a

wide variety of life. But
not everything can live
Dark Zone
everywhere. From top to 3,300-13,000 ft
bottom, there are
different zones in the
ocean. Each zone is
defined by such things as Abyss
sunlight, temperature, 13,000-20,000 ft

and water pressure. Trenches

over 20,000 ft
 Surface Sunlight

The Great Barrier Reef

Surface Sunlight in Australia is over
Sunlit Zone (0-650 ft) 1,200 miles long.

Coral reefs support an amazing

amount of life. However, they
are only found in the sunlit
zone. That’s because the sunlit
zone gets enough light for
photosynthesis to occur.

Why is this important?

Sunlight allows algae to grow.
Living coral need algae so they
can produce the hard skeletons
that protect their soft bodies.
 The Twilight Zone

Large eye
The Twilight Zone helps spot
Twilight Zone (660-3,300 ft) prey in
the dark
Dive below 650 feet and
things really begin to
change. Welcome to the
twilight zone!

Not much light gets to

this zone so the animals Light organs
under tale
that live here have special
adaptations. This hatchet
fish has light-producing
organs in its mouth to Deep-sea hatchet fish
attract prey.

It also has light organs along its belly

and tail so when the fish is viewed from Light organs on belly
underneath, it can better blend in with
the brighter surface water above it. Light patches in the mouth help
guide prey right into its jaws
 Darkness Descends

Darkness Descends
Dark Zone (3,300-13,000 ft)
Deep-sea anglerfish
before meal
The dark zone begins below Lure has
3,300 feet. There is no light bacteria
in this zone, temperatures are that can
light up
cold, and food is scarce. Yet Teeth bend backward to
creatures like this deep-sea keep prey from escaping
anglerfish still survive.

Bacteria that glow

in the dark live in After meal
the structure above
the fish’s mouth. The
anglerfish uses this structure
like a fishing pole to lure prey Stretchy stomach
into its huge jaws. After allows anglerfish
to eat huge meals
swallowing its prey, the fish’s
stomach stretches to hold the
whole meal.
 Into the Abyss

Into the Abyss

Abyss (13,000-20,000 ft)
Below the dark zone
is the abyss. Here, the
water temperature
is almost freezing
and soft clays and
mud-like ooze cover
the ocean floor.

Can anything exist in such

a hostile environment? Deep-sea cucumber
The deep-sea cucumber
does quite well by feeding
on the remains of dead
animals and plants that Extra long tube feet for walking
have sunk to the ocean along soft ocean floor
floor.
 Hot Water Hideouts
Plumes of hot,
sulfur-rich water
Hot Water Hideouts rise from vents

Trenches (over 20,000 ft)

Deep water trenches and canyons drop below
the ocean floor to form the deepest zone in the
ocean. The water pressure in these places can be
an incredible 8 tons per square inch. However,
even in the trenches, scientists have found life.

Gigantic plates that make

up the Earth’s crust move
apart to form cracks, or Tube worms
vents, in the trenches. Hot, can grow to
mineral-rich water gushes 10 feet long
up through these vents and
allows bacteria to grow.
This provides a food
source for strange
animals, like tube
worms, to grow.
 Ocean Zones Teacher Notes
Zoning In Zoning In
Sunlit Zone
Zoning In
Why is Earth called the
Blue Planet? It’s because
0-650 ft

The ocean is divided up into broad zones, according to how far down sunlight
the world’s five oceans
(the Pacific, Atlantic,
Indian, Southern and
Arctic) cover two thirds
of its surface.
Twilight Zone
650-3,300 ft
penetrates, and water temperature and pressure. In the sunlit zone, there is plenty of
The oceans support a
wide variety of life. But
not everything can live
everywhere. From top to
Dark Zone
light, much water movement, and seasonal changes in temperature. Beneath this is the
3,300-13,000 ft

twilight zone, the maximum depth where light penetrates. Temperatures here decrease
bottom, there are
different zones in the
ocean. Each zone is
defined by such things as Abyss
sunlight, temperature, 13,000-20,000 ft

and water pressure. Trenches

over 20,000 ft
rapidly with depth to about 41°F (5°C). Deeper yet is the dark zone, where there is no
light and temperatures drop to about 34–36°F (1–2°C). Still in darkness and even
deeper is the abyss and then the trenches. There are also zones on the seabed. The
shallowest zone lies on the continental shelf. Below this are the continental slope, the
abyssal plains, and the seafloor trenches.

Surface Sunlight Surface Sunlight: Sunlit Zone (0-650 ft)

The Great Barrier Reef
Surface Sunlight
Sunlit Zone (0-650 ft)
Coral reefs support an amazing
in Australia is over
1,200 miles long.
In the crystal clear, warm waters of the tropics, coral reefs flourish, covering vast
amount of life. However, they
are only found in the sunlight
zone. That’s because the
sunlight zone gets enough light
for photosynthesis to occur.
areas. Made of the skeletons of stony corals, coral reefs are cemented together by
Why is this important?
Sunlight allows algae to grow.
Living coral need algae so they
can produce the hard skeletons
chalky algae. Most stony corals are colonies of many tiny, anemone-like individuals,
called polyps. Each polyp makes its own hard limestone cup (skeleton) which protects
that protect their soft bodies.

its soft body. To make their skeletons, the coral polyps need the help of microscopic,
single-celled algae that live inside them. The algae need sunlight to grow, which is
why coral reefs are found only in sunny, surface waters.

Australia's Great Barrier Reef which is over 1,200 miles (2,000 km) long, is the largest
structure in the world made by living organisms. Of the 400 kinds of coral, many
spawn on the same night after a full Moon, the water resembling an underwater
snowstorm.

The Twilight Zone The Twilight Zone (660-3,300 ft)

Large eye
The Twilight Zone
Twilight Zone (660-3,300 ft)
Dive below 650 feet and
helps spot
prey in
the dark Below 650 feet lies the twilight zone. Light is limited in this zone but Hatchet fish,
things really begin to
change. Welcome to the
Twilight Zone!

Not much light gets to

which have bladelike, silvery bodies, manage to thrive at this depth. The light organs
this zone so the animals Light organs
that live here have special
adaptations. This hatchet
fish has light-producing
organs in its mouth to
under tale

along their belly and tail, when viewed from below, help them blend in with the
Deep-sea hatchet fish

brighter surface water above. These must be the right degree of brightness so as not to
attract prey.

It also has light organs along its belly

and tail so when the fish is viewed from Light organs on belly
underneath, it can better blend in with

outshine the light from above, which would make them easier to see. Hatchet fish live
the brighter surface water above it. Light patches in the mouth help
guide prey right into its jaws

in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.

Many animals, including some lantern fish and a variety of squid, spend only their
days in the twilight zone. At night they journey upward to feed in the food-rich surface
water. By doing this, they are less at risk from daytime hunters such as seabirds.
Others, such as the lancet fish, spend most of their lives in the twilight zone eating any
available food.

Darkness Descends
Dark Zone (3,300-13,000 ft)
The dark zone begins below
3,300 feet. There is no light
Ocean Zones Teacher Notes
Darkness Descends Darkness Descends: Dark Zone (3,300-13,000 ft)
Lure has
Deep-sea anglerfish
before meal No light penetrates into the dark zone. Deep-sea fish make the most of little food by
bacteria

in this zone, temperatures are
cold, and food is scarce. Yet
creatures like this deep-sea
anglerfish still survive.
having huge mouths and stretchy stomachs, giving fish a strange appearance. Often
that can
light up
Teeth bend backward to
keep prey from escaping

Bacteria that glow

in the dark live in
the structure above
the fish’s mouth. The
After meal
they are small or weigh little due to lightweight bones and muscles. Being lightweight
helps fish in the dark zone maintain neutral buoyancy (keeping at one level without
anglerfish uses this structure
like a fishing pole to lure prey Stretchy stomach
into its huge jaws. After allows anglerfish
to eat huge meals
swallowing its prey, the fish’s
stomach stretches to hold the
whole meal.
having to swim), even though most have no gas-filled swim bladders.

This anglerfish (Melanocetus) has been found with a lantern fish twice its own size in
its stomach. The prey is guided to its gaping jaws by a glow-in-the-dark lure on the end
of a long fin ray. Large teeth, curving backward, make sure that the angler does not let
go of its prey once it is within its jaws. The prey is not chewed up, but swallowed
whole. Male deep sea anglers are up to 20 times smaller than the females and either
feed on much smaller prey, such as shrimp, or do not feed at all. Once a dwarf male
finds a female he hangs on by his jaws. In some anglers, the male's whole body fuses
with hers so he receives food via her bloodstream.

Into the Abyss Into the Abyss (13,000-20,000 ft)

Into the Abyss
Abyss (13,000-19,668 ft)
Below the dark zone
This deep-sea cucumber has extra long tube-feet for walking along the soft seabed. Sea
is the abyss. Here, the
water temperature
is almost freezing
and soft clays and
mud-like ooze cover
cucumbers often leave tracks in the soft seabed behind them as they crawl along. Some
the ocean floor.

Can anything exist in such

a hostile environment?
The deep-sea cucumber
Deep-sea cucumber
kinds of deep-sea cucumbers move by swimming above the bottom.
does quite well by feeding
on the remains of dead
animals and plants that Extra long tube feet for walking
have sunk to the ocean along soft ocean floor
floor.

Plumes of hot,
Hot Water Hideouts Hot Water Hideouts: Trenches (Over 20,000 ft)
sulfur-rich water
Hot Water Hideouts
Trenches (over 20,000 ft)
rise from vents

Deep water trenches and canyons drop below

Animal life abounds in an active vent site, such as this one in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
the ocean floor to form the deepest zone in the
ocean. The water pressure in these places can be
an incredible 8 tons per square inch. However,
even in the trenches, scientists have found life. If the vent stops producing hot, sulfur-rich water, the community is doomed. Animals
Gigantic plates that make
up the Earth’s crust move
apart to form cracks, or
vents, in the trenches. Hot,
mineral-rich water gushes
Tube worms
can grow to
10 feet long
from dying vents must colonize a new site, which may be several hundred miles away
across the cold, almost barren seafloor.
up through these vents and
allows bacteria to grow.
This provides a food
source for strange
animals, like tube
worms, to grow.