pelágico

Pelágico is an adjective used in oceanography and marine biology to describe organisms or environments found in the open sea, far from the coast and the seabed. The pelagic zone is the part of the ocean that is not near the shore or the bottom. Organisms living in this zone are called pelagic organisms, and they are adapted to a life of swimming or drifting in the vast expanse of water. This environment is characterized by factors such as depth, light penetration, temperature, and salinity, which vary significantly across the different subdivisions of the pelagic zone. These subdivisions include the epipelagic (sunlight zone), mesopelagic (twilight zone), bathyal (midnight zone), abyssal (abyss), and hadalpelagic (trenches). Pelagic animals range from microscopic plankton, which drift with the currents, to large nektonic animals such as whales, sharks, and tuna, which actively swim. The pelagic environment supports a diverse array of life, playing a crucial role in global ecosystems and nutrient cycles.