What zone is known as the abyssopelagic zone?

• A. Abyss
• B. Abyssopelagic zone
• C. Midnight zone
• D. Twilight zone

Answer: (A)

Think of the ocean in depth bands defined by light and pressure. The abyssopelagic zone is the deep, dark layer from about 4,000 to 6,000 meters below the surface. The formal name for that depth range is abyssopelagic; while people sometimes say “the abyss” to refer to the deep ocean, the standardized label for this zone is abyssopelagic. The other two zones mentioned map to shallower ranges: the Twilight zone (mesopelagic) is roughly 200–1,000 meters, and the Midnight zone (bathypelagic) is about 1,000–4,000 meters. So the zone described by abyssopelagic is precisely that deep, dark band of the ocean, not just the simple word “abyss.”