Beyond the shallow coastal areas of the sea lies the open ocean. The part of the ocean where the sunlight can reach is called the Euphotic Zone. This is where the biggest variety of marine animals live. Swimming around this sunny part of the oceans are whales, dolphins, turtles and lots of different fish.
Fin Whale
Many plants live in the Euphotic Zone of the ocean because there is lots of sunlight for photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is when plants use sunlight and carbon dioxide to make food, and release oxygen into the air.
Did you know that the photosynthesis in the oceans creates about 90% of the earth’s oxygen?
Some of the animals that live in the Euphotic Zone are dark on top and light underneath. This helps to hide them from predators. If the predator looks at the animal from below, the light shades of its belly blend in with the sunlight from above. If the predator looks at the animal from above, the dark shades of its back blend into the deeper, darker waters.