Oceans Flashcards
How are ocean layers separated?
Depends on available sunlight (Sunlight Zone, Twilight Zone, Midnight) & temperature (Surface, Thermocline, and Deep Ocean)
Sunlight Zone
-Also known as the Epipelagic Zone
-Warmed by heat of Sun
-Adaptions: Countershading, small size, and coloradaptations
Twilight Zone
-Also known as the Disphotic Zone
-Greek for “poorly lit”
-The depth of this zone is around 200m-1000m
-Adaptations: Bioluminescence, very large teeth, and expandable stomachs
Midnight Zone
-Includes both bathypelagic and abyssopelagic zone
-Depth range from 1000 to the ocean floor
-Temperatures continue to decline with depth as you go deeper
-Adaptations: Very slow metabolic rates, dark colored to blend in, and eat “marine snow”: Pressure effects of animals in the ocean
Water Pressure
-Functions like atmospheric pressure
-At the bottom of the ocean, there is physically more water pressing down
-Water weighs 800x more than air
-Pressure increases about one atmosphere for every 10 meters of water depth