There is no photosynthesis
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There is no photosynthesis
The aphotic zone refers to the deep, lightless layer of the ocean where sunlight cannot penetrate. It typically starts around 200 meters (656 feet) deep and extends to the ocean floor, which can be thousands of meters deep depending on the location. The exact depth of the aphotic zone can vary based on factors such as water clarity and geographic location.
"Photo" means light, so the difference is that one zone has light and the other has no light. (The prefix "a" means "without")
Sunlight can reach through all the zones of the ocean, including the epipelagic (sunlight zone), mesopelagic, bathypelagic, abyssopelagic, and hadalpelagic zones. The intensity of sunlight decreases with depth, so the amount of light available for photosynthesis decreases below the epipelagic zone.
Sunlight does not reach the deepest parts of the ocean, known as the bathyal zone and the abyssal zone. These zones are beyond the reach of sunlight due to the absorption and scattering of light by water molecules and particles in the water column above.