Which lake zone would be absent in a very shallow lake? a. benthic zone b. aphotic zone c. pelagic zone d. littoral zone

Video transcript

Hi everyone. Let's look at our next question blank is the area of the body of water where sunlight can penetrate through the bottom. So we want to think about a region of water where we have sunlight all the way through the entire region of that. And just by definition, um we can recall from our content videos. That is choice. See the littoral zone. The littoral zone. Is that region where we have light all the way through photosynthesis is possible at all depths of this zone. Obviously that will be near shore in shallower water. But let's just walk through. Our other choice is to understand why they are not the correct answer here. Choice A is the benthic zone. The benthic zone is the lowest level of any body of water. So not necessarily the ocean. That can also be the lowest level of the lake. And why we label that as a specific region is that it's the water's interaction with the substrate below it, the sediment or the soil below. It is an important part of the ecology at that lowest level. But that is not our answer because obviously at the lowest levels of the ocean or a very deep lake, there will be no light penetrating there. Choice B is the pelagic zone. The pelagic pelagic zone is not a specific depth but refers to the water column in the open ocean from the surface to the bottom. So, as if we took sort of a core sample, if it were soil from surface to bottom, the entire column. So you'd be looking at things like changes in temperature in light levels. You look at water currents and changes in organisms. But because it's in the open ocean, those lower levels of the pelagic zone are going to be dark. Light is not penetrating through all the way to the bottom. So that is not our correct answer. And finally, choice the the abyssal zone. Well, we can kind of guess looking at the name the abyss. The abyssal zone is that region of water uh where no light penetrates at any level of this region. So no photosynthesis whatsoever going on in this region. And that obviously makes it sort of the opposite of the littoral zone. So abyssal zone also not correct. Our correct answer is choice. See the littoral zone as the area where sunlight penetrates all the way through. Thanks for watching. See you in the next video.