The Mesopelagic (=midwater or "twilight zone"), where there is still faint light but not enough for photosynthesis ( about 200m-1000m).These deep zones together form the largest habitat on earth and the least explored.
Hypothesis proposes that the lack of light means that animals with eyes do not need robust muscles since they only need to be able to dart briefly in the darkness when a predator or prey come close enough to see. Hypothesis-but the features are also found in animals near Hawaii where there is more food available than in temperate zones. These features were originally thought to be ways to cope with low food energy-the " low-energy" Most animals have watery, gelatinous low-energy muscles and other tissues, and sluggish, low-metabolism lifestyles. Since no algae can grow in these zones, life gets sparser the deeper one goes. MESO-, BATHY-, ABYSSO-, HADO-PELAGIC: Below the epipelagic in the deeper zones, food chains are energy-poor (due to lack of sunlight) and usually begin with detritus and bacteria. Consider that in comparison to the average ocean depth at 4000m, going down to 11,000m! By far the most studied habitat, it goes only to a maximum of 200m deep (maximum depth of light adequate for photosynthesis). Life can be abundant, if nutrients and sunlight are plentiful. EPIPELAGIC: The familiar surface waters, where most of the energy input (sunlight) occurs, and food chains begin primarily with phytoplankton ("plant drifters" mostly microscopic algae such as diatoms). Pelagic zones are divided into layers (see Figure above, right): " Pelagic" refers to the swimmers and drifters above the bottom the main subcategories are plankton-organisms at the mercy of currents-and nekton-animals that can outswim currents. *Evergreen State College/MBARI NSF ctenophore research cruise off Hawai'i on which I participated OCEAN Pt 3 narrated by Sir David AttenboroughĢ014: A biochemical depth limit for fishes? Click hereīelow: rare TELESCOPEFISH with bloated stomachīelow: Transparent Octopus with yellow chromatophores Tissue in deep-sea fish including a robotic snailfish Our Work in the News and on Documentaries: 2019:ĭeep Ocean documentary now on Discovery+ as of Apr. High Seas Treaty and new record depth for snailfishĭEEPS Expedition to Southern Ocean, Jan.-Feb. Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington, USA 2014ĭEEP-SEA BIOLOGY Biological Research and Information on Deep-Sea Habitats and AdaptationsĮmeritus Professor of Biology and Senior Research Scientist, Sandwich Trench/ Southern Oceanįish discovered on our Mariana Trench - SOI expedition Dec. Deep-sea-NewsĢ019: Five Deeps Expedition to S. Viperfish, tubeworms, snailfish, vampire squid. DEEP-SEA BIOLOGY (Paul Yancey, Whitman College) DEEP-SEA Biology: mesopelagic to bathypelagic, abyssal plains to hadal trenches gas / cold seeps & methane hydrates hydrothermal vents.
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