The epipelagic zone is a shallow ocean area home to various fish, plant, and crustacean species. Popular fish that live in this zone include tuna, mahi mahi, mackerel, and barracuda, which prey on smaller fish. Although deep, some aquatic plant life like sargassum provides shelter and food. Crustaceans like lobsters and crabs are also important predators and decomposers. Physical features such as rock formations provide habitat, while water temperature, levels, and tides all impact the ecosystem.

1. Epipeligic Zone
Evan Lynch

2. The Different Zone
There are differences
between all the zones in the
oceans and some contain
more life than others. SOm
zones are alos home to
different fish, plant and
crustation life that have all
adapted to living in their
specific zone.

3. Fish Species
Fish are a super popular form of food and are
really important to the life of coral reefs and sandy
oceans. Some of the more popular fish species
that live in the epipeligic zone are species of
billfish such as Blue Marlin, Swordfish and
Spearfish. Some more popular species are Blufin
Tuna, Yellowfin Tuna, Mahi Mahi (mahi mahi is a
name native to hawaii as the locals called them
and the name has spread throughout and is now
a very popular name but their original non
scientific name is the Dolphin Fish), Mackerel,
Barracuda, Flying Fish and many others. Most of
these fish are predatory fish feeding on smaller
fish such as Flying Fish and other smaller species
of fish like the Mackerel and occasionally Mullet.
Spearfish=
Blue Marlin=
Mahi Mahi=

4. Aquatic Plant Life
Even for an area of ocean so deep
there is still aquatic plant life.
Sargasm will float around the open
ocean and provides a place for
smaller fish to lay eggs and a
place for Mahi Mahi and Mullet to
hide, but for the Mahi it is mainly a
outpost were they hide and wait
for some food to pass through.
Sometimes other coral will break
loos from rocks and float around
and this also provides food for
small fish.

5. Crustaceans
Crustaceans are an important part of any
aquatic ecosystem as they eat dead coral and
provide food for larger predators as well as
eating dead fish and other dead animals.
Epipeligic zones can sometimes involve
having some surface area at the sea floor
were crustations will live under and around
coral. Some examples of crustaceans are
Spiney Lobsters, Blue Crabs, Lobsters.

6. Rock Formations
The ocean has a lot of rock formations, there are underwater cliffs, ledges,
boulders and walls that can all provid shelter or a place to grow for animals and
plants that are part of the ecosystem.

7. Water Temp
Water Tempature is also really important as if it is to low animals can die and
plants wont be able to grow it, it can also effect the rock formations and if it gets
really low the water will freeze or turn to slush which most of the time is harmful for
many species of fish.
These higher temps can
Also lead to higher water
levels.

8. Water Level
Water level has pros and cons. With the raising ocean temperatures ice caps are
beginning to melt and it is raising the water level which is destroying habitats like
coral reefs, cause the higher the water the harder it is for light to reach the bottom
and it is killing the reefs and some animals that call the reefs home.

9. The Moon
The moon has a large effect on the tides and depending on the tides some fish my
leave the area or some fish my come through it also breaks up the seaweed on
the floor and it floats to the top. Tides are a large reason there is oxigen in the salt
water and some fresh water as it surculates the air into the water and fish collect
this air in their gills.

10. Sources
Most of this information is previous knowledge but for the few things i had to
search up NOAA is were I got those answers.