[puh-laj-ik] 
| 1. | of or pertaining to the open seas or oceans. |
| 2. | living or growing at or near the surface of the ocean, far from land, as certain organisms. |
| pe·lag·ic (pə-lāj'ĭk) adj. Of, relating to, or living in open oceans or seas rather than waters adjacent to land or inland waters: pelagic birds. [Latin pelagicus, from Greek pelagikos, from pelagos, sea; see plāk-1 in Indo-European roots.] |
| pelagic (pə-lāj'ĭk) Pronunciation Key
Relating to or living in or on oceanic waters. The pelagic zone of the ocean begins at the low tide mark and includes the entire oceanic water column. The pelagic ecosystem is largely dependent on the phytoplankton inhabiting the upper, sunlit regions, where most ocean organisms live. Biodiversity decreases sharply in the unlit zones where water pressure is high, temperatures are cold, and food sources scarce. Pelagic waters are divided, in descending order, into the epipelagic, mesopelagic, bathypelagic, abyssopelagic, and hadopelagic zones. |
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