Open Ocean - Pelagic

This habitat refers to open waters lying over and beyond the continental shelf, while excluding shores and estuaries. Organisms associated to the pelagic habitat occur in the water column above the seafloor and below the surface and consist of free-swimming creatures also known as nekton and free-floating or less motile plankton. The open ocean habitat sustains a relatively large number of species of fish, marine mammals, turtles, and invertebrates, many of commercial importance (i.e., tunas, sharks, sardines, and mackerel). Species use this pelagic environment in a permanent or transitional phase for spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity.