Visualizing Environmental Science

200 m

Euphotic zone

Benthic environment

Abyssal zone

of benthic

environment

Bathyal zone

of benthic

environment

Depth

High tide

Intertidal zone

Low tide

Neritic

province

Oceanic

province

Pelagic environment

4000 m

6000 m

Hadal zone

of benthic

environment

Mary Beth Angelo/Science Source

Bill Curtsinger/NG ImageCollection

Dr Paul A Zahl/PhotoResearchers/Getty Images

Tom Brakefield/Stockbyte/Getty Images

Intertidal zone:

Rockweed (brown algae)

Shallow benthic environment:

Rough file clam

Saber-toothed viperfish

Oceanic province:

Bottlenose dolphins

Neritic province:

Tide zonesTide zones

Supratidal

(splash) zone

IntIntntereretidtidalall

zone

SubSubtidtidalal

zzoneone

LeLevvvel el eofofof

loloweswesttt tideideid

Level of

highest tide

Cyanonbacatereia,

seasea ha hairir (((UlUloUlothrthrrrrrixixxx),),

rough perriwinkles

AcoAcorn bn baranacnacleles,s,

rockk barnacales,

mussels, limpetsssssssssssssssssss,,,,,,,

perpereiwiiwiwnklnklkeses,

oystersr,

brobrobrown wn wnalgalgalgaeaeae

BroBrown wnalgalggggggaeaeaeaeaeaeaeae,,,,,

musmusselselss,,

seasea st starsars,,

brbrittittle le stastarsrs,,

seasea ur urchichinsns,,

spispiderder cr crababss

TidTidTidTidTTiTidTidTidTide pe pe pe e pe e pe pe ppppppppppppppppppppooloooloolooooloooolooooooooloo

Anemones,

tube worms,

hermit crabs

CommCommunity zonation pattern ofunity zonation pattern ofrorockcky shoresy shores

Ada

pted

from

Fig

ure

14.1 in Karleskint

,^ G

.Intr

oduction to Marine Biologyrr

yy

Philadelphi

aii:^

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co

urt

C

ollege Publishers

(^1998

).

<œ˜>̈œ˜Êˆ˜Ê̅iʜVi>˜ÊUʈ}ÕÀiÊ££°{Ê

Zonation along a rocky

ŜÀiÊUʈ}ÕÀiÊ££°xÊ

Three zones are shown: the

supratidal, or “splash” zone,

which is never fully submerged;

the intertidal zone, which is fully

submerged at high tide; and the

subtidal zone (part of the benthic

environment), which is always

submerged. Representative

organisms are listed for each of

these zones.

The intertidal zone, the benthic

environment, and the pelagic environment

make up the ocean. The pelagic

environment consists of the neritic and

oceanic provinces. (The slopes of the

ocean floor aren’t as steep as shown; they

are exaggerated here to save space.)

279