Ocean Life - Epipelagic & Mesopelagic - DnaTube.com - Scientific Video and Animation Site

Ocean Life - Epipelagic & Mesopelagic

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The epipelagic, sunlit, or euphotic zone is the top layer of the ocean zones.  This is the ideal place for about 90 percent of all ocean life to live because of warm temperatures and sunlight that goes down about 660 feet.  This is the only zone to support plant life because it has the light needed for photosynthesis, which is important because it produces a lot of oxygen and some carbon.  Because of the variety in plant life there is a variety of animals including sharks, mackerels, tuna, seals, jellyfish, sea lions, sea turtles, sting rays, and much more!  Though there are a lot of plants, there aren’t very many places to hide.  Therefore some species have developed a camouflage called counter shading.  Counter shading is when an organism is dark on the top of their bodies, and light on the bottom.  This helps disguise them so that if a predator is looking up at them they will blend in with the water above and if they are looking down at them they will blend in with the darker water below.

The mesopelagic zone is also called the twilight zone.  Though some sunlight penetrates through this zone there is not enough for photosynthesis to occur and plants to grow.  This zone, which goes down about 3,300 feet, has some animals including octopus, squid, and hatchet fish.  The animals living in this zone must survive cold temperatures, increased water pressure, and dark water.  Some fish have extra big eyes to help them see, while others produce their own light called bioluminescence using special organs in their bodies called photophores.  Many animals in the twilight zone have thin bodies as their camouflage so it is harder for predators to see them.  But most fish don’t case their food they either wait for it or stalk it.  Some have sharp fangs or big mouths to help them catch their food.

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