neritic zone

Sargassum seaweed drifting in the neritic zone provides food and shelter for small epipelagic fish   As highlighted in light green, the neritic zone coincides with the relative shallows of the continental shelves.

The neritic zone (or sublittoral zone) is the relatively shallow part of the ocean above the drop-off of the continental shelf, approximately 200 meters (660 ft) in depth. From the point of view of marine biology it forms a relatively stable and well-illuminated environment for marine life, from plankton up to large fish and corals, while physical oceanography sees it as where the oceanic system interacts with the coast.