PELAGIC ZONE: ECOLOGY AND SIGNIFICANCE IN THE OPEN OCEAN

The pelagic zone constitutes the open water column of the world’s oceans, extending from the surface to the deep sea, and is a fundamental ecological domain that supports diverse marine life and biogeochemical processes. This zone is divided into distinctive ecological layers based on depth and light penetration, each with unique physical and biological characteristics. Organisms in the pelagic zone range from microscopic phytoplankton to large predators such as tuna and whales, and interactions across trophic levels drive global nutrient cycling and energy flow. This article reviews key aspects of the pelagic zone, including its structure, ecological dynamics, and its role in sustaining marine biodiversity and global environmental processes.