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The abyssal zone or abyssopelagic zone is a layer of the pelagic zone of the ocean. The word abyss comes from the Greek word ἄβυσσος ( ábussos ), meaning "bottomless". [ 1 ] At depths of 4,000–6,000 m (13,000–20,000 ft), [ 2 ] this zone remains in perpetual darkness.
The oceanic zone is the deep open ocean beyond the continental shelf, which contrasts with the inshore waters near the coast, such as in estuaries or on the continental shelf. Waters in the oceanic zone plunge to the depths of the abyssopelagic and further to the hadopelagic. Coastal waters are generally the relatively shallow epipelagic.
The abyssopelagic zone is the portion of the ocean deeper than about 4,000 m (13,000 feet) and shallower than about 6,000 m (20,000 feet). The zone is defined mainly by its extremely uniform environmental conditions, as reflected in the distinct life forms inhabiting it. [ 8 ]
Abyssal Zone: Beneath the thermocline is the deep ocean or abyssal zone, where temperatures remain relatively uniform, hovering just above freezing (0°-3°C). This cold, dense water originates from polar regions, where surface water cools, sinks, and spreads towards the equator along the ocean floor, forming the deep ocean circulation system.
Below this zone, the deep sea consists of the abyssal zone which occurs between the ocean depths of 3000 and 6000 meters [14] and the hadal zone (6000 – 11,000 meters). [ 15 ] [ 16 ] Food consists of falling organic matter known as ' marine snow ' and carcasses derived from the productive zone above, and is scarce both in terms of spatial and ...
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Abyssopelagic_zone&oldid=58401499"This page was last edited on 13 June 2006, at 15:06 (UTC). (UTC).
The oceanic zone is typically defined as the area of the ocean lying beyond the continental shelf (e.g. the neritic zone), but operationally is often referred to as beginning where the water depths drop to below 200 metres (660 ft), seaward from the coast into the open ocean with its pelagic zone.
The downward export of organic matter by migrating zooplankton and micronekton is generally smaller than that of particles at the base of the euphotic zone. [24] However, sinking particles are rapidly consumed with depth, and the active transport by migrators can exceed particle remineralization in deeper layers where animals congregate during ...