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The sunlight does not penetrate into this area of the ocean. The only light available at these depths is generated by organisms. This zone of the oceans is further divided into the midnight zone, abyss zone, and the hadal zone. About 5% of the primary production from the surface makes it to this zone. Identify the Oceanic zone from the passage given above.
  • a)
    Limnetic
  • b)
    Aphotic
  • c)
    Euphotic
  • d)
    Dysphotic 
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
Most Upvoted Answer
The sunlight does not penetrate into this area of the ocean. The only ...
The importance of light in the ocean is reflected by the description of the ocean’s vertical zones of the water column in terms of how much light these zones receive. The ocean is generally divided into three zones which are named based on the amount of sunlight they receive: the euphotic, dysphotic, and aphotic zones. 
  • Euphotic Zone (Sunlight Zone or Epipelagic Zone): The upper 200 meters (656 feet) of the ocean is called the euphotic zone. Since sunlight penetrates this zone sufficiently to support the growth of phytoplankton and/or macroalgae (i.e., plants that need sunlight to make food and survive), providing the bulk of ocean primary production (food), it is also known as the sunlight zone (or epipelagic zone). Organisms in the zones below are dependent on what food drifts down from above, ranging from tiny clumps of bacteria and dead algae to occasional bonanzas like a dead whale. 
  • Dysphotic Zone: The area between 200 and 1,000 meters (656 and 3,280 feet) is the dysphotic zone. Also known as the twilight zone (or mesopelagic zone), light intensity in this zone is severely reduced with increasing depth, so light penetration is minimal. About 20 percent of primary production from the surface falls down to the mesopelagic zone. Consequently, the density or biomass of mesopelagic zone occupants is lower than at the surface, and mesopelagic organisms have an interesting variety of mechanisms that help them find food as well as avoid being meals for other species. 
  • Aphotic Zone: Sunlight does not penetrate the eternal darkness below 1,000 meters (3,280 feet), an area known as the aphotic zone, which includes the midnight zone (or bathypelagic zone) between 1,000 and 4,000 meters (3,280 and 13,123 feet), the abyss (or abyssopelagic zone) between 4,000 and 6,000 meters (13,123 and 19,685 feet), and the hadal zone (or hadopelagic zone) 6,000 meters (19,685 feet) and deeper. The only light available at these depths is generated by organisms. About five percent of the primary production from the surface makes it to the bottom of the ocean. Less food means lower biomass. Occasionally, large items like dead sharks or whales reach the seafloor, but generally, food is scarce. 
  • The limnetic zone is the open and well-lit area of a freestanding body of fresh water, such as a lake or pond. Not included in this area is the littoral zone, which is the shallow, near-shore area of the water body. Together, these two zones comprise the photic zone. 
  • Hence option (b) is the correct answer
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The sunlight does not penetrate into this area of the ocean. The only ...
The Oceanic zone is the correct answer.

The passage describes a zone in the ocean where sunlight does not penetrate and the only available light is generated by organisms. This zone is further divided into the midnight zone, abyss zone, and the hadal zone. Only about 5% of the primary production from the surface reaches this zone.

Explanation:

The passage mentions that the sunlight does not penetrate into this area of the ocean. This indicates that it is a zone where there is no sunlight. This rules out options (a) Limnetic and (c) Euphotic, as both of these zones are characterized by sunlight penetration.

The passage also mentions that the only light available at these depths is generated by organisms. This is a characteristic of the aphotic zone, which is the zone in the ocean where sunlight is unable to penetrate. This makes option (b) Aphotic the correct answer.

The passage further divides the aphotic zone into three subzones - the midnight zone, abyss zone, and the hadal zone. These subzones represent different depths within the aphotic zone. The midnight zone is the uppermost part of the aphotic zone, followed by the abyss zone, and finally, the hadal zone which is the deepest part of the ocean.

The passage also states that only about 5% of the primary production from the surface makes it to this zone. Primary production refers to the process of converting sunlight, nutrients, and carbon dioxide into organic matter through photosynthesis. Since the aphotic zone is devoid of sunlight, the primary production from the surface is unable to reach this zone, hence only a small percentage (about 5%) makes it there.

In conclusion, based on the description provided in the passage, the correct answer is (b) Aphotic, which refers to the zone in the ocean where sunlight does not penetrate and the only light available is generated by organisms.
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The sunlight does not penetrate into this area of the ocean. The only light available at these depths is generated by organisms. This zone of the oceans is further divided into the midnight zone, abyss zone, and the hadal zone. About 5% of the primary production from the surface makes it to this zone. Identify the Oceanic zone from the passage given above.a)Limneticb)Aphoticc)Euphoticd)DysphoticCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
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