Week 2 Diving into the Ocean

 We had to research  and create your own poster in your STEAM books illustrating the 5 ocean zones. 

It needs to include features such as depth, light, temperature, and key species for each zone.

Label each zone and see if you can find and add information about how the animals are adapted to that zone.

 

• Sunlight Zone (Epipelagic):
  • This is the top layer of the ocean where sunlight can penetrate, making it home to the most diverse group of sea creatures, like fish, sharks, dolphins, and sea turtles.
  • This zone is the warmest and extends down to about 200 meters.
  • Fun Fact: It’s the only zone where plants can grow, and phytoplankton thrive here, providing food for many animals.
• Twilight Zone (Mesopelagic):
  • This zone is between 200 meters and 1,000 meters deep and only receives a little bit of light.
  • Creatures here, like bioluminescent fish, can create their own light to attract prey or mates.
  • Fun Fact: Deep-sea creatures, like the lanternfish, glow in the dark, which helps them survive in the near-darkness of this zone.
• Midnight Zone (Bathypelagic):
  • No light reaches this zone, which is between 1,000 meters and 4,000 meters deep.
  • Animals here, like the giant squid, have adapted to the dark with specialized features, such as large eyes and the ability to survive in extreme pressure.
  • Fun Fact: The pressure in this zone is over 1,000 times greater than at the surface of the ocean.
• Abyssal Zone (Abyssopelagic):
  • The abyssal zone lies between 4,000 meters and 6,000 meters deep and is freezing cold.
  • Organisms like the anglerfish and the abyssal Cusk eel live in this zone, adapting to live without light and at very cold temperatures.
  • Fun Fact: The temperature in this zone is just above freezing, but the animals still thrive due to their unique adaptations.
• Hadal Zone (Trenches):
  • This is the deepest part of the ocean, from 6,000 meters to the ocean floor at the deepest trenches like the Mariana Trench.
  • It’s home to creatures like the hadal amphipod and other hardy organisms that can withstand extreme pressure and temperatures.
  • Fun Fact: Some parts of the hadal zone are so deep that they haven’t been explored yet by humans, so new creatures are still being discovered!