Table of Contents
Which zone of the ocean can be reached by sunlight?
euphotic
The upper 200 meters (656 feet) of the ocean is called the euphotic, or “sunlight,” zone. This zone contains the vast majority of commercial fisheries and is home to many protected marine mammals and sea turtles. Only a small amount of light penetrates beyond this depth.
What ocean layer zone receives the most sunlight?
The surface layer receives the most sunlight, allowing photosynthetic organisms like phytoplankton to convert sunlight to energy.
Which ocean zone does sunlight first stop penetrating?
aphotic zone
Sunlight does not penetrate the eternal darkness below 1,000 meters (3,280 feet), an area known as the aphotic zone, which includes the midnight zone (or bathypelagic zone) between 1,000 and 4,000 meters (3,280 and 13,123 feet), the abyss (or abyssopelagic zone) between 4,000 and 6,000 meters (13,123 and 19,685 feet).
Which ocean zone has the most sun light?
Epipelagic Zone (top zone of the ocean) The sunlight zone: This ocean layer has the most visible light and warmest temperatures, hence its nickname. It’s the thinnest layer accounting for just 5% of the ocean depth.
What zone of the ocean is totally dark?
Most of the ocean is completely dark. This is called the aphotic zone, and it begins at a depth of about 3,000 ft (0.9 km) and continues to the bottom, which usually maxes out at a depth of around 18,000 ft (5.5 km), except for ocean trenches, which can be as deep as 6.8 mi (11 km).
What is the zone of the ocean that gets no light?
54% of the ocean lies in the bathypelagic (aphotic) zone into which no light penetrates. This is also called the midnight zone and the deep ocean. Due to the complete lack of sunlight, photosynthesis cannot occur and the only light source is bioluminescence.
How far can sunlight penetrate into the ocean?
Such a miniscule amount of light penetrates beyond a depth of 200 meters that photosynthesis is no longer possible. The aphotic, or “midnight,” zone exists in depths below 1,000 meters (3,280 feet). Sunlight does not penetrate to these depths and the zone is bathed in darkness.