The benthic marine environment compiled from Hedgpeth (1957) and INGLE (1980) :
Non-marine (supralittoral) – top delta, alluvial plain etc.
Lorenz (1863) proposed supra-littoral for the term above extreme high water (Hedgepeth, 1957). This zone include top delta, alluvial plain etc.
Transitional zone (littoral) - brackish water, bay, marsh, lagoon, estuaries, deltas, beaches, tidal flats.
The term littoral has been used to mean the region between high-tide and low-tide level (Forbes and Hanley, 1853). Brakish water, bay, marsh, lagoon, estuaries, deltas (except top delta) are grouped into the transitional zone.
Neritic zone (0 to 100 m)
The region between the low-water line and the edge of the continental shelf, or betweeen shore and extends downwards to about 20 to 50 fathoms (about 36.54 – 91.35 m) is continental shelf. The term for the aquatic environment overlaying this region, the water over the continental shelves, is “neritic”, proposed by Haeckel to complement “oceanic”, the environment of the “blue water”. But paleontologist, working with the remains of the benthic organism of shallow seas, have applied the term “neritic” to the environment of the bottom itself (Hedgpeth, 1957).
Inner neritic - shallowest open marine (inner shelf or shallow inner sub-littoral) environment between 0 to 20m (approx. 0 to 66 feet)
Effective fair weather wave base at about 10m to 15m (Figure 3 of Ingle, 1980).
The lower boundary of this depth zone is roughly equivalent to the maximum effective weather wave base.
Middle neritic - intermediate open marine (middle shelf or deep inner sublittoral) environment - 20 to 100m (approx. 66 to 328 feet).
The region between water and the maximum depth of large attached algae or of reef-coral growth is called as middle neritic (Hedgepeth, 1957). Everage lower boundary of photic zone at tropic marine at about 100m to -120m depth.
The lower boundary of this depth zone is roughly equivalent to the lower boundary of photic zone at tropic marine, or to the maximum depth of large attached algae or of reef-coral growth.
Everage lower boundary of reefal ecologic is 50m. There are the moderate to abundant large foraminiferes associate to the reef. Bellow of this depth, they are very rare (Ingle, 1980). So that, we divided the middle neritic zone into two zones, shallow middle neritic (20m-50m) and deep middle neritic (50m-100m).
Outer neritic zone - deeper open marine (outer shelf or outer sublittoral) environment - 100 to 200m (approx. 328 to 656 feet).
Average maximum depth of continental shelf is 200m depth (Ingle, 1980). The term outer shelf (outer neritic or outer sublittoral) applied to the region between the maximum depth of large attached algae or of reef-coral growth to the average maximum depth of continental shelf.
Upper bathyal zone, -200 to -500m (approx. 656 to 1640 feet).
Bathyal have frequently been applied to the environment of the continental slope down to 2000m, but its usage has not gone much beyond the diagrams in the textbooks.
Middle bathyal zone, -500 to -2000m
Upper middle bathyal zone (500-1500m)
The upper middle bathyal zone is effectively coincides with the oxygen minimum zone (500 to 1500m) (Ingle, 1980), a parcel of water containing only marginal amounts of dissolved oxygen (0.1-0.5 ml/l) due to the oxidation of the organic debris derived from high productivity in the overlying photic zone (Richad, 1957 in Ingle ,1980).
Lower middle bathyal zone (1500-2000m)
Continental slope and bathyal have been applied to the environment of the continental slope down to maximum 2000m (Hedgpath, 1957).
Lower bathyal zone, -2000m to -4000
Bellow 2000m (roughly between 2000m and 3000m, and extends downward to about 6000 m) the temperature is never above 4oC, (Hedgpeth, 1957). The base of lower bathyal zone is delimited by the top of the CCD in mid-latitude oceanic areas today (Ingle,1980)
Abyssal zone, -4000m to 6000m.
Critical deeper boundaries include the lysohaline (LCD) and the calcium carbonate compensation depth (CCD) at 3000 to 4000m (Berger, 1970, 1974); top of the abbysal zone (4000m) is essentially coincide with the top of the CCD in mid-latitude oceanic areas today (Ingle, 1980). Below 4000m, the living and presence of foraminifera was under the influence of CCD. The calcareous foraminiferal tests are dissolved (Berggren, in Haq and Boersma, 1980; Ingle, 1980).
The temperature of the water body at roughly between 2000 and 3000meters and extends downward to about 6000 meters is never above 4oC (Hedgpeth, 1980).
Hadal zone, more than –6000m.
The distinct characteristic of the fauna of the deep trenches suggest that Hedgpeth is dealing with another environment region, for which Bruun has proposed the term “hadal” (from Hades). The term for the region bellow 6000m depth.
Non-marine (supralittoral) – top delta, alluvial plain etc.
Lorenz (1863) proposed supra-littoral for the term above extreme high water (Hedgepeth, 1957). This zone include top delta, alluvial plain etc.
Transitional zone (littoral) - brackish water, bay, marsh, lagoon, estuaries, deltas, beaches, tidal flats.
The term littoral has been used to mean the region between high-tide and low-tide level (Forbes and Hanley, 1853). Brakish water, bay, marsh, lagoon, estuaries, deltas (except top delta) are grouped into the transitional zone.
Neritic zone (0 to 100 m)
The region between the low-water line and the edge of the continental shelf, or betweeen shore and extends downwards to about 20 to 50 fathoms (about 36.54 – 91.35 m) is continental shelf. The term for the aquatic environment overlaying this region, the water over the continental shelves, is “neritic”, proposed by Haeckel to complement “oceanic”, the environment of the “blue water”. But paleontologist, working with the remains of the benthic organism of shallow seas, have applied the term “neritic” to the environment of the bottom itself (Hedgpeth, 1957).
Inner neritic - shallowest open marine (inner shelf or shallow inner sub-littoral) environment between 0 to 20m (approx. 0 to 66 feet)
Effective fair weather wave base at about 10m to 15m (Figure 3 of Ingle, 1980).
The lower boundary of this depth zone is roughly equivalent to the maximum effective weather wave base.
Middle neritic - intermediate open marine (middle shelf or deep inner sublittoral) environment - 20 to 100m (approx. 66 to 328 feet).
The region between water and the maximum depth of large attached algae or of reef-coral growth is called as middle neritic (Hedgepeth, 1957). Everage lower boundary of photic zone at tropic marine at about 100m to -120m depth.
The lower boundary of this depth zone is roughly equivalent to the lower boundary of photic zone at tropic marine, or to the maximum depth of large attached algae or of reef-coral growth.
Everage lower boundary of reefal ecologic is 50m. There are the moderate to abundant large foraminiferes associate to the reef. Bellow of this depth, they are very rare (Ingle, 1980). So that, we divided the middle neritic zone into two zones, shallow middle neritic (20m-50m) and deep middle neritic (50m-100m).
Outer neritic zone - deeper open marine (outer shelf or outer sublittoral) environment - 100 to 200m (approx. 328 to 656 feet).
Average maximum depth of continental shelf is 200m depth (Ingle, 1980). The term outer shelf (outer neritic or outer sublittoral) applied to the region between the maximum depth of large attached algae or of reef-coral growth to the average maximum depth of continental shelf.
Upper bathyal zone, -200 to -500m (approx. 656 to 1640 feet).
Bathyal have frequently been applied to the environment of the continental slope down to 2000m, but its usage has not gone much beyond the diagrams in the textbooks.
Middle bathyal zone, -500 to -2000m
Upper middle bathyal zone (500-1500m)
The upper middle bathyal zone is effectively coincides with the oxygen minimum zone (500 to 1500m) (Ingle, 1980), a parcel of water containing only marginal amounts of dissolved oxygen (0.1-0.5 ml/l) due to the oxidation of the organic debris derived from high productivity in the overlying photic zone (Richad, 1957 in Ingle ,1980).
Lower middle bathyal zone (1500-2000m)
Continental slope and bathyal have been applied to the environment of the continental slope down to maximum 2000m (Hedgpath, 1957).
Lower bathyal zone, -2000m to -4000
Bellow 2000m (roughly between 2000m and 3000m, and extends downward to about 6000 m) the temperature is never above 4oC, (Hedgpeth, 1957). The base of lower bathyal zone is delimited by the top of the CCD in mid-latitude oceanic areas today (Ingle,1980)
Abyssal zone, -4000m to 6000m.
Critical deeper boundaries include the lysohaline (LCD) and the calcium carbonate compensation depth (CCD) at 3000 to 4000m (Berger, 1970, 1974); top of the abbysal zone (4000m) is essentially coincide with the top of the CCD in mid-latitude oceanic areas today (Ingle, 1980). Below 4000m, the living and presence of foraminifera was under the influence of CCD. The calcareous foraminiferal tests are dissolved (Berggren, in Haq and Boersma, 1980; Ingle, 1980).
The temperature of the water body at roughly between 2000 and 3000meters and extends downward to about 6000 meters is never above 4oC (Hedgpeth, 1980).
Hadal zone, more than –6000m.
The distinct characteristic of the fauna of the deep trenches suggest that Hedgpeth is dealing with another environment region, for which Bruun has proposed the term “hadal” (from Hades). The term for the region bellow 6000m depth.