nearocean

Nearocean is a term used in marine science and environmental discourse to describe the nearshore portion of the ocean—the coastal waters that lie between the shoreline and the outer edge of the continental shelf. Its exact definition is not standardized, and some authors regard nearocean as synonymous with the neritic or coastal zone, while others use it to emphasize the interaction of land and sea, including estuarine exchange and nearshore current systems.

Geography and environment: The nearocean typically extends from the shoreline to the shelf break, with depth often up to about 200 meters, though bounds vary by region. It encompasses diverse habitats such as beaches, mangroves, salt marshes, seagrass beds, kelp forests, and coral reefs in suitable climates. Light penetration is high, supporting substantial primary production, and land-derived nutrients and sediments influence its chemistry and biology.

Ecology and human relevance: Because of its productivity and proximity to land, the nearocean hosts important fisheries and biodiversity, provides coastal protection, and contributes to carbon storage in sediments. It is a focus of fisheries management, habitat restoration, and coastal resilience planning. Changes in circulation, warming, acidification, pollution, and eutrophication disproportionately affect nearshore systems.

Research and usage: The term is not universally standardized; some researchers prefer more specific terms such as neritic zone or coastal ocean, while others use nearocean as an integrative concept for land-sea interactions. Practitioners often qualify the term with region, habitat, or process (for example, nearshore coastal nearocean or estuarine nearocean).

See also: Neritic zone; Coastal zone; Continental shelf; Pelagic zone.