Oceanography Vocabulary

A region of the deep ocean between 3,000 and 6,500 meters in depth, characterized by complete darkness, extreme pressure, and freezing temperatures. 

• abyssal zone
• benthic zone
• neritic zone
• pelagic zone

The part of a lake or ocean where sunlight cannot penetrate, making it too dark for photosynthesis to occur. 

• aphotic zone
• pelagic zone
• euphotic zone
• benthic zone

The lowest ecological region of a body of water, encompassing the surface and subsurface of the sediment, and the organisms that live on or within it, known as benthos.

• benthic zone
• abyssal zone
• neritic zone
• pelagic zone

A heat-driven circulation pattern that occurs in fluids (liquids and gases) due to differences in temperature and density.

• convection current
• Coriolis Effect
• gyre
• thermocline

A hard substance formed in the sea from masses of shells of very small sea animals (corals), usually orange or red in color.

• coral reef
• mid-ocean ridge
• gulf stream
• seamount

The curving path of air or other substances, on or near the Eath's surface, caused by the planet's rotation.

• Coriolis effect
• gyre
• convection current
• pycnocline

The highest point or peak of a wave, representing the maximum positive displacement of the medium from its rest or equilibrium position. 

• crest
• trough
• wave length
• wave period

The amount of a substance within a defined area.

• density
• salinity
• oceanography
• sonar

The upper layer of a body of water that receives enough sunlight to support photosynthesis, making it the area where most marine plants and algae grow and primary production occurs. 

• euphotic zone
• pelagic zone
• aphotic zone
• benthic zone

A long ocean current that runs along the east coast of the United States and Canada, bringing the warm water from the Gulf of Mexico to the North Atlantic Ocean.

• gulf stream
• mid-ocean ridge
• seamount
• ocean basin