Aquatic Biomes
The pelagic zone (Pelagial): free water; contains plankton (usually small, floating with currents) and nekton (can swim against current)
The benthic zone (Benthal): the seafloor/lake bottom; the sum of all benthic organisms forms the benthos community
The neritic zone: from the shore to to continental shelf break, water usually m; comprises both benthic and pelagic zones
The littoral = intertidal zone: area that is affected by the tides, dry at low tide and submerged at high tide
Photic zone: sun-lit layer, up to 200 m deep in open ocean, less near the coast, sometimes only few to less than 1 m in lakes/ponds
Aphotic zone: layers below the photic zone