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Ocean Zones and Ecosystem Overview

The ocean covers about 71% of Earth's surface and contains 97% of its water, divided into five main areas: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, and Arctic. It plays a crucial role in Earth's hydrosphere, influencing climate, weather, and various cycles, while being categorized into different zones based on physical and biological conditions. The photic zone, where photosynthesis occurs, is the most biodiverse area, supporting the ocean's ecosystem.

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11 views1 page

Ocean Zones and Ecosystem Overview

The ocean covers about 71% of Earth's surface and contains 97% of its water, divided into five main areas: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, and Arctic. It plays a crucial role in Earth's hydrosphere, influencing climate, weather, and various cycles, while being categorized into different zones based on physical and biological conditions. The photic zone, where photosynthesis occurs, is the most biodiverse area, supporting the ocean's ecosystem.

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The 

ocean (also the sea or the world ocean) is the body of salt water which covers approximately
71% of the surface of the Earth and contains 97% of Earth's water. Another definition is "any of the
large bodies of water into which the great ocean is divided".[1] Separate names are used to identify
five different areas of the ocean: Pacific (the largest) Atlantic, Indian, Southern (Antarctic),
and Arctic (the smallest).[2][3] Seawater covers approximately 361,000,000 km2 (139,000,000 sq mi) of
the planet. The ocean is the principal component of Earth's hydrosphere, and therefore integral
to life on Earth. Acting as a huge heat reservoir, the ocean influences climate and weather patterns,
the carbon cycle, and the water cycle.
Oceanographers divide the ocean into different vertical and horizontal zones based on physical and
biological conditions. The pelagic zone consists of the water column from surface to ocean floor
throughout the open ocean. The water column is further categorized in other zones depending on
depth and on how much light is present. The photic zone includes water from the surface to a depth
of 200 m, where photosynthesis can occur. This makes the photic zone the most biodiverse.
Photosynthesis by plants and microscopic algae (free floating phytoplankton) creates organic matter
from chemical precursors like water and carbon dioxide. This upper sunlit zone is the origin of the
food supply which sustains most of the ocean ecosystem. Light only penetrates to a depth of a few
hundred meters; the remaining ocean below is cold and dark. The continental shelf where the ocean
approaches dry land is more shallow, with a depth of a few hundred meters or less. Human activity
has a greater impact on the continental shelf.  

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