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The mesopelagic zone plays a key role in the ocean's biological pump, which contributes to the oceanic carbon cycle. In the biological pump, organic carbon is produced in the surface euphotic zone where light promotes photosynthesis. A fraction of this production is exported out of the surface mixed layer and into the mesopelagic zone.
Altogether, the pelagic zone occupies 1,330 million km 3 (320 million mi 3) with a mean depth of 3.68 km (2.29 mi) and maximum depth of 11 km (6.8 mi). [2] [3] [4] Pelagic life decreases as depth increases. The pelagic zone contrasts with the benthic and demersal zones at the bottom of the sea. The benthic zone is the ecological region at the ...
Most mesopelagic fish are ambush predators with upward-facing eyes, like this sabertooth fish. The mesopelagic zone is the upper section of the midwater zone, and extends from 200 to 1,000 metres (660 to 3,280 ft) below sea level. This is colloquially known as the "twilight zone" as light can still penetrate this layer, but it is too low to ...
The mesopelagic zone is the disphotic zone, meaning light there is minimal but still measurable. The oxygen minimum layer exists somewhere between a depth of 700 and 1,000 metres (2,300-3,300 ft) deep depending on the place in the ocean.
Most mesopelagic organisms, including mesopelagic fish, squid and siphonophores, make daily vertical migrations. They ascend at night into the shallow epipelagic zone , often following similar migrations of zooplankton , and return to the mesopelagic depths for safety when there is daylight.
Marine animals of the mesopelagic (mid-water) zone tend to appear dark against the bright water surface when seen from below. They can camouflage themselves, often from predators but also from their prey, by producing light with bioluminescent photophores on their downward-facing surfaces, reducing the contrast of their silhouettes against the ...
Lanternfish currently represent one of the dominant groups of mesopelagic fishes in terms of abundance, biomass, and diversity. Their otolith record dominates pelagic sediments below 200 m in dredges, especially during the entire Neogene. The diversity and rise to dominance of lanternfish can be examined by analysing these otolith records.
Almost nothing is known of the biology and ecology of evermannellids. They are active, visual predators and confine themselves to the mesopelagic zone, about 400m - 1000m for adults. [1] [4] However, larvae and small juvenile sabertooth fishes tend to be found at depth ranges between 50m - 100m, descending to deeper water with age. [1]