The pelagic oceanic zone is the area of open water lying over and beyond the continental shelf, while excluding nearshore and estuary areas. 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, marine turtles, and invertebrates, many of commercial importance such as tuna, sharks, sardines, and mackerel. Species use this pelagic environment in a permanent or transitional phase for spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity.
