Chapter 3, Problem 13STP

Summary Introduction

To determine:

The animals in the photic zone and the aphotic zones are different.

Introduction:

The sea is divided into many zones, depending on the resource distribution. On the basis of light, they are divided into photic and aphotic zone. The photic zone is the portion of the sea where sunlight can penetrate and the aphotic zone is the zone where sunlight cannot penetrate.

Explanation of Solution

In the photic zone of the sea, the circumstances are suitable for the plants. The amount of the sunlight received by the photic zone allows the plants to flourish and photosynthesize. That is why this region is dominated by the phytoplankton and algae too. Small fishes that feed on plants are also present in this zone as the food is abundant here. In the aphotic zone, the bottom dwelling organisms are present. These animals feed on the microbes and other animals present in the sea as they do not have access to the photosynthetic plants.