The neritic zone, also called the sublittoral zone[1], is the part of the ocean extending from the low tide mark to the edge of the continental shelf, with a relatively shallow depth extending to about 200 meters (100 fathoms). The neritic zone has generally well-oxygenated water, low water pressure, and relatively stable temperature and salinity levels. These, combined with presence of light and the resulting photosynthetic life, such as phytoplankton and floating sargassum[2], make the neritic zone the location of the majority of sea life.
Zooplankton, free-floating creatures ranging from microscopic diatoms to small fish and shrimp, live in this zone, and together with phytoplankton form the base of the food pyramid that supports most of the world's great fishing areas.
At the edge of the neritic zone the continental shelves end, rapidly descending to the deeper oceanic crust and the pelagic zone.
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