Photic zone
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The photic zone is the uppermost layer of a body of water that receives sunlight, allowing phytoplankton to perform photosynthesis. It undergoes a series of physical, chemical, and biological processe
Comparison of the depths which different colors of light penetrate open ocean waters and the murkier coastal waters. Water absorbs the warmer long wavelengths colours, like reds and oranges, and scatter the cooler short wavelength colours.
Intricate silicate (glass) shell, 32–40 million years old, of a diatom microfossil
Drawn image of phytoplankton
Aerial view of Slapton Sands and northern part of Ley geograph.org.uk 1434412
Ocean
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The ocean is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of Earth. The ocean is conventionally divided into large bodies of water, which are also referred to as oceans, and are themselves m
Photic zone
…growth of phytoplankton. Typical euphotic depths vary from only a few centimetres in highly turbid eutrophic lakes, to around 200 meters in the open ocean. It also varies with seasonal changes in turbidity, which can be strongly driven by phytoplankton concentrations, such that the depth of the photic…
Pacific Ocean, largest part of Earth and its ocean, seen from space in 2023
Lighthouse at the coast of Ocean County, New Jersey, U.S., facing the Atlantic Ocean at sunrise
The ocean is a major driver of Earth's water cycle.
High tide and low tide in the Bay of Fundy, Canada