The oceans and seas of our world are very important to your every-day life.
The weather that you are experiencing today is effected by the oceans of the
world. Every nation of the world that borders the oceans depends upon them
for food, resources, and even energy. The oceans are large and made up of
many different components. These components can be grouped together into
different zones. Two of the main zones into which the oceans can be divided
are the Coastal Zone and the Oceanic Zone.
Coastal Zones are the areas of the oceans that are near the shoreline of land
masses. These are the beaches that you visit on vacation and the coral reefs
that you can SCUBA dive around. These coastal waters themselves are
divided into different types. One type of area is called an Estuary. If any of you
have been to Maryland and visited the Chesapeake Bay, then you have been to
an estuary. An estuary is a large bay or port that is open to the ocean. The salt
water of the ocean mixes with the fresh water that enters the estuary from
rivers. This results in a very interesting group of animals that are designed to live
in this strange environment.
Another type of Coastal Zone is called the Inter-Tidal Zone. This is the area of
the ocean that you can play in at the beach. You probably have noticed how
the water of the ocean moves higher and lower on the beach throughout the
day. This is because of the tides. The Inter-Tidal Zone is the part of the beach
that is located between the highest water level and the lowest water level during
the day. You can see sea stars, sea urchins, and, if you're lucky, fish in these
waters.
Oceanic Zones are basically the remaining waters of the ocean. This is the deep
water that is far from shore. In Oceanic Zones, you will find large whales as
well as large sharks and other fish. In some parts of the Oceanic Zone, the
water is over 30,000 feet deep! The Oceanic Zone and Coastal Zone exist in a
very strong relationship that depends upon our relationship with the oceans, and
therefore we need to protect them.
Topic Essay: Ocean Zones II
Alex Handler
The ocean is a complex environment full of organisms of different shapes and
sizes. From the shore, the oceans appear to be uniform bodies of water that go
on forever. In order to study the ocean though, scientists have split it up into
zones. Two major regions are the pelagic and benthic zones. The pelagic zone
consists of all the water in the oceans from surface to bottom. The area
adjoining the sea bottom is known as the benthic zone.
Light penetrates through the surface of the water to a limited depth. This is
called the photic zone. This is where most of the life in the ocean begins, and
where phytoplankton (small marine plants) produce their own food. Other
organisms then feed on these plants and are, in turn, eaten by other animals.
When any of these creatures die, their bodies tend to fall to the sea floor.
The sea floor is part of the benthic region. In deep water, the sea bottom is part
of the aphotic zone because it does not receive sun light. There are also animals
known as benthos that live in and on the sea bed. These creatures generally eat
other organisms to survive.
It is important to remember that although the definitions of these terms have
strict boundaries, the oceans operate in a much more fluid manner.
