Ocean Zones and Lifestyles

the area between the high tide and the low tide mark

• benthic zone
• intertidal zone
• pelagic zone
• abyssal zone

organisms that live on or in the bottom

• benthos
• neuston
• littoral
• heterotrophs

the gently sloping shallow sea bed surrounding a continent

• abyssal
• bathyal
• littoral
• continental shelf

plankton that lives on the water’s surface

• nekton
• neuston
• infauna
• inflora

shore bottom that is splashed by water but not submerged

• bathyal zone
• continental shelf
• supralittoral zone
• tidal zone

benthic animals that live buried or partially buried in the sea floor

• infauna
• epifauna
• inflora
• epiflora

benthic animals that live on the sea floor

• infauna
• epifauna
• inflora
• epiflora

the ocean bottom between the high tide and low tide mark that is sometimes submerged

• littoral zone
• pelagic zone
• neritic zone
• benthic zone

the entire water portion of the ocean

• pelagic zone
• neritic zone
• oceanic zone
• benthic zon

organisms that swim against the ocean’s currents

•  neuston
• plankton
• nekton
• naphron