https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000182451 please go back to the pelagic and deep sea problem. could you please add Pelagic Provinces of the World (PPOW,Spalding et al./2012) and GOODS (Global Open Oceans and Deep Seabed) to get better results, unless you know better sources GOODS (Global Open Oceans and Deep Seabed) Open ocean + deep seabed Global offshore and deep-sea biogeographic classification Open-ocean / deep-seabed biogeographic regions; not directly comparable to TEOW-style biome nesting Deep-sea and high-seas biogeography, marine spatial planning beyond shelf waters UNESCO-IOC 2009, Global Open Oceans and Deep Seabed (GOODS): Biogeographic Classification.unesco ✅ Watling et al. (2009) Global Open Oceans and Deep Seabed Classification (GOODS,Watling et al./2013) !!!! refined 2013 als GOODS A new biogeographic classification of the world’s oceans has been developed which includes pelagic waters subdivided into 30 provinces as well as benthic areas subdivided into three large depth zones consisting of 38 provinces (14 bathyal, 14 abyssal and 10 hadal). In addition, 10 hydrothermal vent provinces have been delineated. This classification has been produced by a multidisciplinary scientific expert group, who started this task at the workshop in Mexico City in January 2007. It represents the first attempt at comprehensively classifying the open ocean and deep seafloor into distinct biogeographic regions. The classification is displayed in figures 1 Zoogeography of the Sea(Ekman 1953) One of the first classic volumes originally published in German in 1935, this recognizes, but does not clearly map a number of “faunas”, “zoogeographic regions”, and “subregions”. Marine Biogeography (Hedgpeth 1957) This work points back to that of Ekman, but also reviews many other contributors and produces a first global map showing the distribution of the highest level “littoral provinces”. Marine Zoogeography (Briggs 1974) Perhaps the most thorough taxonomic-based classifications devised, this work still forms the basis for much ongoing biogeographic work. The work focuses on shelf areas and does not provide a biogeographic framework for the high seas. Briggs developed a system of regions and provinces, with the latter defined as areas having at least 10% endemism. These remain very broad-scale, with 53 Provinces in total. Classification of Coastal and Marine Environments (Hayden et al. 1984) An important attempt to devise a simple system of spatial units to inform conservation planning. The coastal units are closely allied to those proposed by Briggs. Large Marine Ecosystems (Sherman and Alexander 1989) One of the mostly widely used classifications, these are “relatively large regions on the order of 200,000 km2 or greater, characterized by distinct: (1) bathymetry, (2) hydrography, (3) productivity, and (4) trophically dependent populations”. They have been devised through expert consultation, taking account of governance regimes and management practicalities. At the present time the system is restricted to shelf areas and, in some cases, to adjacent major current systems and does not include all island systems. As shown by the definition these units are not defined by their constituent biotas: although in many cases there are close parallels due to the influence of the abiotic characters in driving biotas this is not always the case. There are 64 LMEs globally. A Global Representative System of Marine Protected Areas (Kelleher et al. 1995) Not strictly a classification, this is one of the few global efforts to look at global marine protected areas coverage. Contributing authors were asked to consider biogeographic representation in each of 18 areas and this volume provides important pointers to biogeographic literature and potential spatial units. Ecological Geography of the Sea (Longhurst 1998, 2007) This system of broad biomes and finescale “biogeochemical provinces” is centred on abiotic measures. The classification consists of 4 biomes and 57 biogeochemical provinces. They are largely determined by satellite-derived measures of surface productivity and refined by observed or inferred locations of change in other parameters (including mixing and the location of the nutricline). The direct “measurability” of this system has appealed to a number of authors. It would further appear that some of the divisions lie quite close to lines suggested by taxonomic biogeographers. At the same time it should be pointed out that this system does not strictly follow the surface circulation SELECTED GLOBAL MARINE BIOGEOGRAPHIC CLASSIFICATIONS the same als PW - but w/o the 7 semiclosed provinces Agulhas Current Antarctic Antarctic Polar Front Arctic Benguela Current California Current Canary Current Eastern Tropical Equatorial Atlantic Equatorial Pacific Guinea Current Gulf Stream Humboldt Current Indian Ocean Gyre Indian Ocean Monsoon Gyre Kuroshio Current Leeuwin Current Malvinas Current Non-gyral Southwest Pacific North Atlantic Transitional North Central Atlantic Gyre North Central Pacifi c Gyre North Pacific Transitional Somali Current South Central Atlantic Gyre South Central Pacific Gyre Subantarctic Subarctic Atlantic Subarctic Pacific Subtropical Convergence --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- reagarding: 897 0 Epipelagic (sunlight) - Photic zone - From the surface (MSL) down to around 200 m 897 1 [M] Neritic epipelagic (MEOW) - From shoreline → shelf edge (~200 m depth): MEOW applies 897 2 [P] Oceanic epipelagic (PPOW) - From shelf edge → deep ocean: PPOW takes over 897 3 [S] Mesopelagic (twilight) - Mesopelagic zone - From 200 m down to around 1000 m (33) Polar biome – 3 ecoregions Arctic (MS01) {8144N,0909W} Northwest Atlantic Subarctic (MS21) {5642N,3832W} - NWP Southern Ocean/Antarctic (MS33) {6110S,0413W} Westerly winds biome – 10 ecoregions Subarctic Pacific (MS02) {4852N,0633E} - NEP North Atlantic Drift (MS22) {4616N,2637W} South Central Pacific (MS08) {1831S,9719W} - SP Coral Sea (MS09) {17 16S,15750E} Tasman Sea (MS10) {3445S,16229E} - SWP Southern Indian Ocean (MS19) {3143S,7540E} - SWO Mediterranean (MS25) {3645N,1659E} South Atlantic (MS30) {3027S,1819W} Circumglobal Subtropical Front (MS31) {4120S,1518W} - subant... Subantarctic (MS32) {4812S,3348W} Trade wind biome – 7 ecoregions Northern Central Pacific (MS04) {2311N,1106W} - NEP Eastern Tropical Pacific (MS05) {0459N,11108W} - ECP Equatorial Pacific (MS06) {0148N,5657E} - CP Southeast Asian/Indo-Pacific Pocket basins (MS13) {0002N,12431E} - WCP Gulf of Mexico (MS23) {2434N,9037W} - complete Central (North) Atlantic (MS24) {2424N,4620W} Tropical & West Equatorial Atlantic (MS27) {0837S,1608W} - CL Distant neritic biome – 13 ecoregions California Current (MS03) {3408N,12354W} Peru Upwelling/Humboldt Current (MS07) {2411S,7638W} Agulhas Current (MS20) {26 13S,3607E} Mauritania/Cape Verde (MS26) {1608N,2048W} Guinea Basin & East Equatorial Atlantic (MS28) {0221S,0220W} Benguela Upwelling (MS29) {2510S,1121E} Arabian Sea (MS14) {1656N,6352E} Bay of Bengal (MS15) {1501N,8724E} Somali Current (MS16) {0848N,5106E} Northern Indian Ocean (MS17) {0125S,7654E} Mid-Indian Ocean (MS18) {1630S,8530E} Sea of Japan (MS11) {4047N,13517E} South China Sea (MS12) {1353N,11451E} 897 4 Bathypelagic (midnight) - Bathyal zone - From 1000 m down to around 4000 m 897 5 [B] Lower Bathyal Provinces - depth range 800 to 3000 m. (14) 01 Arctic - Lower Bathyal Province (BY01) {8533N,2752W} North Atlantic Ocean (IHO Sea Area) Greenland Sea (IHO Sea Area) Norwegian Sea (IHO Sea Area) Laptev Sea (IHO Sea Area) Lincoln Sea (IHO Sea Area) Beaufort Sea (IHO Sea Area) Arctic Ocean (IHO Sea Area) Northwestern Passages (IHO Sea Area) Baffin Bay (IHO Sea Area) Davis Strait (IHO Sea Area) 02 Northern North Atlantic - Lower Bathyal Province (BY02) {5634N,3639W} Hudson Strait (IHO Sea Area) Davis Strait (IHO Sea Area) Labrador Sea (IHO Sea Area) North Atlantic Ocean (IHO Sea Area) 03 Northern North Pacific - Lower Bathyal Province (BY03) {5505N,175W} North Pacific Ocean (IHO Sea Area) Japan Sea/East Sea (IHO Sea Area) Sea of Okhotsk (IHO Sea Area) Bering Sea (IHO Sea Area) Gulf of Alaska (IHO Sea Area) The Coastal Waters of Southeast Alaska and British Columbia (IHO Sea Area) Gulf of California (IHO Sea Area) 04 North Atlantic - Lower Bathyal Province (BY04) {3040N,3831W} Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin (IHO Sea Area) Mediterranean Sea - Western Basin (IHO Sea Area) Bay of Biscay (IHO Sea Area) Celtic Sea (IHO Sea Area) Gulf of Mexico (IHO Sea Area) Caribbean Sea (IHO Sea Area) North Atlantic Ocean (IHO Sea Area) South Atlantic Ocean (IHO Sea Area) Strait of Gibraltar (IHO Sea Area) Alboran Sea (IHO Sea Area) Balearic Sea (IHO Sea Area) Ligurian Sea (IHO Sea Area) Tyrrhenian Sea (IHO Sea Area) Adriatic Sea (IHO Sea Area) Ionian Sea (IHO Sea Area) Aegean Sea (IHO Sea Area) 05 Southeast Pacific Ridges - Lower Bathyal Province (BY05) {2710S,11521W} South Pacific Ocean (IHO Sea Area) 06 New Zealand-Kermadec - Lower Bathyal Province (BY06) {3129S,17237E} South Pacific Ocean (IHO Sea Area) Bass Strait (IHO Sea Area) Tasman Sea (IHO Sea Area) Coral Sea (IHO Sea Area) 07 Cocos Plate - Lower Bathyal Province (BY07) {0642N,9604W} Gulf of California (IHO Sea Area) North Pacific Ocean (IHO Sea Area) South Pacific Ocean (IHO Sea Area) 08 Nazca Plate - Lower Bathyal Province (BY08) {3229S,8040W} South Atlantic Ocean (IHO Sea Area) South Pacific Ocean (IHO Sea Area) 09 Antarctic - Lower Bathyal Province (BY09) {8439S,12246E} South Atlantic Ocean (IHO Sea Area) Indian Ocean (IHO Sea Area) South Pacific Ocean (IHO Sea Area) Southern Ocean (IHO Sea Area) 10 Subantarctic - Lower Bathyal Province (BY10) {7959S,9311E} Tasman Sea (IHO Sea Area) South Atlantic Ocean (IHO Sea Area) Indian Ocean (IHO Sea Area) South Pacific Ocean (IHO Sea Area) Southern Ocean (IHO Sea Area) 11 Indian Ocean - Lower Bathyal Province (BY11) {1347S,7207E} Gulf of Aden (IHO Sea Area) Gulf of Oman (IHO Sea Area) Laccadive Sea (IHO Sea Area) Arabian Sea (IHO Sea Area) Mozambique Channel (IHO Sea Area) Bay of Bengal (IHO Sea Area) Andaman Sea (IHO Sea Area) Malacca Strait (IHO Sea Area) Great Australian Bight (IHO Sea Area) Tasman Sea (IHO Sea Area) Indian Ocean (IHO Sea Area) Banda Sea (IHO Sea Area) Timor Sea (IHO Sea Area) Flores Sea (IHO Sea Area) Bali Sea (IHO Sea Area) Java Sea (IHO Sea Area) Savu Sea (IHO Sea Area) 12 West Pacific - Lower Bathyal Province (BY12) {0118S,14814E} South China Sea (IHO Sea Area) Eastern China Sea (IHO Sea Area) Coral Sea (IHO Sea Area) Bismarck Sea (IHO Sea Area) Solomon Sea (IHO Sea Area) Philippine Sea (IHO Sea Area) North Pacific Ocean (IHO Sea Area) South Pacific Ocean (IHO Sea Area) Sulu Sea (IHO Sea Area) Celebes Sea (IHO Sea Area) Molukka Sea (IHO Sea Area) Gulf of Tomini (IHO Sea Area) Halmahera Sea (IHO Sea Area) Ceram Sea (IHO Sea Area) Banda Sea (IHO Sea Area) Arafura Sea (IHO Sea Area) Timor Sea (IHO Sea Area) Flores Sea (IHO Sea Area) Gulf of Boni (IHO Sea Area) Makassar Strait (IHO Sea Area) Java Sea (IHO Sea Area) 13 South Atlantic - Lower Bathyal Province (BY13) {2919S,1631W} North Atlantic Ocean (IHO Sea Area) Gulf of Guinea (IHO Sea Area) South Atlantic Ocean (IHO Sea Area) Indian Ocean (IHO Sea Area) 14 North Pacific - Lower Bathyal Province (BY14) {1629N,17502W} North Pacific Ocean (IHO Sea Area) South Pacific Ocean (IHO Sea Area) 897 6 [V] Hydrothermal Vent Provinces - bathymetry 800-3500 m. (10) 701 VTK Arctic Ocean VT08 Arctic including the VT08a * Mohns Ridge [Norwegian Sea] {7155N,0112W} north of Iceland and the various vent sites in the Arctic Basin Vent Sites. VT08b * Gakkel Ridge {8634N,7752E} 710 VTP Pacific Ocean VT01 East Pacific Rise (EPR) encompassing all of the East Pacific Ridge from about the Challenger Fracture Zone to the ridges surrounding the Cocos Plate; {1727S,11310W} VT02 South East Pacific Ridges including the southern section of the East Pacific Rise, the Chile Rise and the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge; VT02a * Chile Rise {40S,90W} VT02b * Pacific-Antarctic Ridge {6112S,6547W} VT03 Western Pacific Back-Arc spreading centers, VT03a * Mariana Central Trough: Located in the Philippine Sea, this is an active basin behind the Mariana Arc where seafloor spreading occurs as the Pacific plate subducts. {0803N,14445E] VT03b * Lau Basin: Situated behind the Tonga Arc, this is an active, shallow V-shaped basinand one of the best-studied examples, characterized by rapid tectonic evolution. SPO {20S,17730W} VT03c * North Fiji Basin: Formed behind the Vanuatu subduction zone due to the convergence of the Pacific and Indo-Australian plates. SPO {18S,174E} VT03d * Manus Basin: Part of the Bismarck Sea, this region shows complex interaction between spreading and volcanic arc structures. SPO {0345S,150E] VT03e * Okinawa Trough: A back-arc basin in the East China Sea, often showing continental crust extension, with active hydrothermal activity identified. {26N,12540E} VT04 Juan de Fuca Ridge - NPO {4537N,12959W} 732 VTL Atlantic Ocean VT05 Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) North in the region from 15° to 30° N, could be extrapolated to include the MAR south to the Equator VT06 Azores includes the part of the MAR in the region of the Azores; it is not known whether this province extends north to Iceland because of the deepening of the ridge or whether the Mid-Atlantic Ridge Province exists in this deeper area north of the shallower Azores Province. VT07 Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) South hypothesized province, but no data currently exist. 776 VTO Indian Ocean VT10 Central Indian Ridge encompasses the region where the Mid-Indian, Southwest Indian, and Southeast Indian Ridges meet. It is likely the fauna of this province extends to varying degrees along each of the two southward trending ridges, and that some part of each ridge may belong to its own province. The extent to which other ridges, such as the aseismic Ninety-East Ridge, has any vent activity is not known at this time. {1340S,6724E} VT10a * Boomerang Seamount {3743S,7750E} VT10b * Southeast Indian Ridge {2804S,7410E} VT10c * Southwest Indian Ridge {4403S,3757E} 784 VTQ Southern Ocean VT09 East Scotia Ridge hypothesized province, data not yet available. {5749S,2627W} 897 7 Abyssopelagic (abyssal zone) - From around 4000 m down to above the ocean floor 897 8 [A] Abyssal Provinces - depth range 3500 to 6500 m. (14) 01 Arctic basin - Abyssal Province (AB01) {8741N,16353W} Greenland Sea (IHO Sea Area) Norwegian Sea (IHO Sea Area) Beaufort Sea (IHO Sea Area) Arctic Ocean (IHO Sea Area) 02 North Atlantic - Abyssal Province (AB02) {2343N,3931W} Bay of Biscay (IHO Sea Area) Celtic Sea (IHO Sea Area) Labrador Sea (IHO Sea Area) Gulf of Mexico (IHO Sea Area) Caribbean Sea (IHO Sea Area) North Atlantic Ocean (IHO Sea Area) Gulf of Guinea (IHO Sea Area) South Atlantic Ocean (IHO Sea Area) 03 Brazil Basin - Abyssal Province (AB03) {1901S,2525W} South Atlantic Ocean (IHO Sea Area) (SWCL) 04 Angola and Sierra Leone Basins - Abyssal Province (AB04) {1555S,0132W} Gulf of Guinea (IHO Sea Area) North Atlantic Ocean (IHO Sea Area) South Atlantic Ocean (IHO Sea Area) 05 Argentine Basin - Abyssal Province (AB05) {4109S,38W} South Atlantic Ocean (IHO Sea Area) (SWL) 06 East Antarctic Indian - Abyssal Province (AB06) {6019S,3237E} Mozambique Channel (IHO Sea Area) South Atlantic Ocean (IHO Sea Area) Indian Ocean (IHO Sea Area) South Pacific Ocean (IHO Sea Area) Southern Ocean (IHO Sea Area) 07 West Antarctic - Abyssal Province (AB07) {6031S,10152W} South Atlantic Ocean (IHO Sea Area) South Pacific Ocean (IHO Sea Area) Southern Ocean (IHO Sea Area) 08 Indian Ocean - Abyssal Province (AB08) {2411S,8611E} Gulf of Aden (IHO Sea Area) Laccadive Sea (IHO Sea Area) Arabian Sea (IHO Sea Area) Mozambique Channel (IHO Sea Area) Bay of Bengal (IHO Sea Area) Andaman Sea (IHO Sea Area) Great Australian Bight (IHO Sea Area) Tasman Sea (IHO Sea Area) Coral Sea (IHO Sea Area) Indian Ocean (IHO Sea Area) South Pacific Ocean (IHO Sea Area) Southern Ocean (IHO Sea Area) 09 East Pacific Basins - Abyssal Province (AB09) {1406S,9314W} (Chile, Peru, Guatemala Basins) Gulf of California (IHO Sea Area) North Pacific Ocean (IHO Sea Area) South Pacific Ocean (IHO Sea Area) 10 South Pacific - Abyssal Province (AB10) {3228S,15737W} Tasman Sea (IHO Sea Area) Coral Sea (IHO Sea Area) Solomon Sea (IHO Sea Area) South Pacific Ocean (IHO Sea Area) Southern Ocean (IHO Sea Area) 11 Equatorial Pacific (Central Pacific) - Abyssal Province (AB11) {0055N,13729W} North Pacific Ocean (IHO Sea Area) South Pacific Ocean (IHO Sea Area) 12 Lower North Pacific (North Central Pacific) - Abyssal Province (AB12) {2135N,17945W} Bismarck Sea (IHO Sea Area) Philippine Sea (IHO Sea Area) North Pacific Ocean (IHO Sea Area) South Pacific Ocean (IHO Sea Area) Halmahera Sea (IHO Sea Area) 13 (Upper) North Pacific - Abyssal Province (AB13) {46N,17536W} Philippine Sea (IHO Sea Area) Japan Sea/East Sea (IHO Sea Area) Sea of Okhotsk (IHO Sea Area) Bering Sea (IHO Sea Area) Gulf of Alaska (IHO Sea Area) North Pacific Ocean (IHO Sea Area) 14 West Pacific Basins - Abyssal Province (AB14) {0606N,12104E} South China Sea (IHO Sea Area) Philippine Sea (IHO Sea Area) Sulu Sea (IHO Sea Area) Celebes Sea (IHO Sea Area) Molukka Sea (IHO Sea Area) Halmahera Sea (IHO Sea Area) Ceram Sea (IHO Sea Area) Banda Sea (IHO Sea Area) Arafura Sea (IHO Sea Area) Flores Sea (IHO Sea Area) Makassar Strait (IHO Sea Area) Savu Sea (IHO Sea Area) 897 9 [H] Hadopelagic (hadal) Provinces - World ocean deeper than 6500 m // 7100 HDP Pacific Ocean Subregion: // 7110 [North Pacific Ocean] HD01 Aleutian-Japan Province HD1A ALT-Aleutian Trench/Maury Deep {5208N,16726W} HD1B IOT-Izu-Ogasawara Trench/Bonin Trench {32N,14210E} HD1C JPT-Japan Trench/Nippon Trench {3809N,14402E} HD1D KKT-Kuril-Kamchatka Trench/Tuscarora Deep [Sea of Okhotsk] {4647N,15441E} HD02 Philippine Province HD2A PHT-Philippine Trench/Mindanao Trough/Swire Deep [Philippine Sea] {1007N,12641E} HD2B NST-Nansei-Shoto Trench/Ryukyu Trench [Philippine Sea] {2430N,12725E} HD03 Mariana Province HD3A MAR-Mariana Trench/Bonin/Challenger Deep {1641N,14748E} HD3B PAL-Palau Trench/Palau Through {0702N,13447E} HD3C YAP-Yap Trench/Yap Through/West Caroline Trench [Philippine Sea] {0919N,13819E} 7270 [South Pacific Ocean] HD04 Bougainville-New Hebrides Province (hadal) HD4A BGT-Bougainville Trench {06S,153E} HD4B NHT-New Hebrides Trench [Coral Sea] {2125S,17004E} HD4C NBT-New Britain Trench [Solomon Sea] {06S,15230E} HD05 Tonga-Kermadec Province (hadal) HD5A KTT-Kermadec-Tonga Trench {3155S,17722W} HD5B NFB-North Fiji Basin/Pandora Basin {18S,174E} HD06 Peru-Chile Province (hadal) PCT-Peru-Chile/Atacama Trench {2547S,7141W} 7320 HDL Atlantic Ocean Subregion: HD08 Puerto Rico Province HD8A CYT-Cayman trench [Caribbean Sea] {1905N,8005W} HD8B PRT-Puerto Rico trench [North Atlantic/Central Atlantic] {1955N,6512W} HD09 Romanche Province RMT-the Romanche Trench in the equatorial Atlantic / [central/south atlantic] {0020S,18W} or Romanche Fracture Zone or La Romanche Passage / Romanche Deep/Gap/Trench 7760 HDO Indian Ocean Subregion: HD07 Java Province (JAV-Java Trench/Sunda Trench) [EIO] {0919S,10854E} 7840 HDQ Antarctic-Atlantic Subregion: HD10 Southern Antilles Province (SAND-South Sandwich Trench/Sandwich Deep/Ross Deep) {5625S,2516W} [South Atlantic Ocean] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HLC Tree (OW Levels) HLC-M HLC-X HLC-S REF-CODE DESCRIPTION Details 899 (9) 899|699 R9Q00 OD00 OD00 OD00 - MES ([large] Marine Eco-Systems) 899-8990 (9.0) 8990 R9Q90 OD90 OD90 OD90 - Epipelagic (sunlight) - Photic Zone surface (MSL) down to around 200 m 899-8990-8991 (9.1) 8991 R9Q91 OD91|[MR|LM|EW]00 OD91|[MR|LM|EW]00 OD91|[MR|LM|EW]00 - Neritic Epipelagic shoreline --> shelf edge (~200 m depth) 899-8990-8991-8971 (9.1.1) 8971 R9XX1 MR|LM|EW 71 MR|LM|EW 71 MR|LM|EW 71 - MES (Polar Seas,EW00,G196!) details see MEOW, LMES and PAME 899-8990-8991-8971-8970 (9.1.1.0) 8970 R9XX0 MR|LM|EW 70 MR|LM|EW 70 MR|LM|EW 70 - MES (Polar - Arctic) details see MEOW, LMES and PAME 899-8990-8991-8971-8979 (9.1.1.9) 8979 R9XX9 MR|LM|EW 79 MR|LM|EW 79 MR|LM|EW 79 - MES (Subpolar - Antarctic,G196#) details see MEOW, LMES and PAME 899-8990-8991-8972 (9.1.2) 8972 R9XX2 MR|LM 72 MR|LM 72 MR|LM 72 - MES (Temperate) details see MEOW and LMES 899-8990-8991-8972-8975 (9.1.2.5) 8975 R9MR5 MR75 MR75 MR75 - MES (Temperate Shelfs & Seas,G199!) details see MEOW 899-8990-8991-8972-8978 (9.1.2.8) 8978 R9MR8 MR78 MR78 MR78 - MES (Temperate Upwelling,G208!) details see MEOW 899-8990-8991-8973 (9.1.3) 8973 R9XX3 MR|LM 73 MR|LM 73 MR|LM 73 - MES (Subtropical/Tropical Upwelling,G212!) details see MEOW and LMES 899-8990-8991-8974 (9.1.4) 8974 R9XX4 MR|LM 74 MR|LM 74 MR|LM 74 - MES (Tropical Coral,G217!) details see MEOW and LMES 899-8990-8991-8974-8976 (9.1.4.6) 8976 R9MR6 MR76 MR76 MR76 - MES (Indo-Pacific Tropics) details see MEOW 899-8990-8991-8974-8977 (9.1.4.7) 8977 R9MR7 MR77 MR77 MR77 - MES (Tropical Atlantic & Pacific) details see MEOW 899-8990-8992 (9.2) 8992 R9Q92 OD92|PW00 OD92|PW00 OD92|PW00 - Oceanic Epipelagic From shelf edge --> deep ocean 899-8990-8992-6949 (9.2.1) 6949 R9W10 PW10 PW10 PW10 - Northern Coldwater Realm (Arctic) details see PPOW 899-8990-8992-6968 (9.2.2) 6968 R9W20 PW20 PW20 PW20 - Indo-Pacific Warmwater Realm details see PPOW 899-8990-8992-6969 (9.2.4) 6969 R9W40 PW40 PW40 PW40 - Atlantic Warmwater Realm details see PPOW 899-8990-8992-6979 (9.2.8) 6979 R9W80 PW80 PW80 PW80 - Southern Coldwater Realm (Antarctic) details see PPOW 899-8993 (9.3) 8993 R9Q93 OD93|MS00 OD93|MS00 OD93|MS00 - Mesopelagic (twilight) Zone 200 m down to around 100 m 899-8993-8981 (9.3.1) 8981 R9Q81 MS81 MS81 MS81 - Polar (Biom) 899-8993-8981-9Q41 9Q41 R9Q41 MS01 MS01 Arctic (twilight) {8144N,0909W} 899-8993-8981-9Q61 9Q61 R9Q61 MS21 MS21 Northwest Atlantic Subarctic {5642N,3832W} 899-8993-8981-9Q73 9Q71 R9Q73 MS33 MS33 Southern Ocean/Antarctic {6110S,0413W} 899-8993-8987 (9.3.7) 8987 R9Q87 MS87 MS87 MS87 - Westerly winds (Biom) 899-8993-8987-9Q42 9Q42 R9Q42 MS02 MS02 Subarctic Pacific {4852N,0633E} - NEP 899-8993-8987-9Q48 9Q48 R9Q48 MS08 MS08 North Atlantic Drift {4616N,2637W} 899-8993-8987-9Q49 9Q49 R9Q49 MS09 MS09 South Central Pacific {1831S,9719W} - SP 899-8993-8987-9Q50 9Q50 R9Q50 MS10 MS10 Coral Sea {1716S,15750E} 899-8993-8987-9Q59 9Q59 R9Q59 MS19 MS19 Tasman Sea {3445S,16229E} - SWP 899-8993-8987-9Q62 9Q62 R9Q62 MS22 MS22 Southern Indian Ocean {3143S,7540E} - SWO 899-8993-8987-9Q65 9Q65 R9Q65 MS25 MS25 Mediterranean {3645N,1659E} 899-8993-8987-9Q70 9Q70 R9Q70 MS30 MS30 South Atlantic {3027S,1819W} 899-8993-8987-9Q71 9Q71 R9Q71 MS31 MS31 Circumglobal Subtropical Front... {4120S,1518W} - subant… 899-8993-8987-9Q72 9Q72 R9Q72 MS32 MS32 Subantarctic {4812S,3348W} 899-8993-8988 (9.3.8) 8988 R9Q88 MS88 MS88 MS88 - Trade wind (Biom) 899-8993-8988-9Q44 9Q44 R9Q44 MS04 MS04 Northern Central Pacific {2311N,1106W} - NEP 899-8993-8988-9Q45 9Q45 R9Q45 MS05 MS05 Eastern Tropical Pacific {0459N,11108W} - ECP 899-8993-8988-9Q46 9Q46 R9Q46 MS06 MS06 Equatorial Pacific {0148N,5657E} - CP 899-8993-8988-9Q53 9Q53 R9Q53 MS13 MS13 Southeast Asian/Indo-Pacific Pocket basins {0002N,12431E} - WCP 899-8993-8988-9Q63 9Q63 R9Q63 MS23 MS23 Gulf of Mexico {2434N,9037W} - complete 899-8993-8988-9Q64 9Q64 R9Q64 MS24 MS24 Central (North) Atlantic {2424N,4620W} 899-8993-8988-9Q67 9Q67 R9Q67 MS27 MS27 Tropical & West Equatorial Atlantic {0837S,1608W} - CL 899-8993-8989 (9.3.9) 8989 R9Q89 MS89 MS89 MS89 - Coastal/Distant neritic (Biom) 899-8993-8989-9Q43 9Q43 R9Q43 MS03 MS03 California Current {3408N,12354W} 899-8993-8989-9Q47 9Q47 R9Q47 MS07 MS07 Peru Upwelling/Humboldt Current {2411S,7638W} 899-8993-8989-9Q51 9Q51 R9Q51 MS11 MS11 Agulhas Current {26 13S,3607E} 899-8993-8989-9Q52 9Q52 R9Q52 MS12 MS12 Mauritania/Cape Verde {1608N,2048W} 899-8993-8989-9Q54 9Q54 R9Q54 MS14 MS14 Guinea Basin & East Equatorial Atlantic {0221S,0220W} 899-8993-8989-9Q55 9Q55 R9Q55 MS15 MS15 Benguela Upwelling {2510S,1121E} 899-8993-8989-9Q56 9Q56 R9Q56 MS16 MS16 Arabian Sea {1656N,6352E} 899-8993-8989-9Q57 9Q57 R9Q57 MS17 MS17 Bay of Bengal {1501N,8724E} 899-8993-8989-9Q58 9Q58 R9Q58 MS18 MS18 Somali Current {0848N,5106E} 899-8993-8989-9Q60 9Q60 R9Q60 MS20 MS20 Northern Indian Ocean {0125S,7654E} 899-8993-8989-9Q66 9Q66 R9Q66 MS26 MS26 Mid-Indian Ocean {1630S,8530E} 899-8993-8989-9Q68 9Q68 R9Q68 MS28 MS28 Sea of Japan {4047N,13517E} 899-8993-8989-9Q69 9Q69 R9Q69 MS29 MS29 South China Sea {1353N,11451E} 899-8994 (9.4) 8994 R9Q94 OD94 OD94 OD94 - Bathypelagic (midnight) - Bathyal Zone 1000 m down to around 4000 m 899-8994-8995 (9.4.5) 8995 R9Q95 OD95|BY00 OD95|BY00 OD95|BY00 - Lower Bathyal Provinces depth range 800 to 3000 m 899-8994-8995-9Q21 9Q21 R9Q21 BY01 BY01 Arctic (lower bathyal) {8533N,2752W} 899-8994-8995-9Q22 9Q22 R9Q22 BY02 BY02 Northern North Atlantic (lower bathyal) {5634N,3639W} 899-8994-8995-9Q23 9Q23 R9Q23 BY03 BY03 Northern North Pacific (lower bathyal) {5505N,175W} 899-8994-8995-9Q24 9Q24 R9Q24 BY04 BY04 North Atlantic (lower bathyal) {3040N,3831W} 899-8994-8995-9Q25 9Q25 R9Q25 BY05 BY05 Southeast Pacific Ridges (lower bathyal) {2710S,11521W} 899-8994-8995-9Q26 9Q26 R9Q26 BY06 BY06 New Zealand-Kermadec (lower bathyal) {3129S,17237E} 899-8994-8995-9Q27 9Q27 R9Q27 BY07 BY07 Cocos Plate (lower bathyal) {0642N,9604W} 899-8994-8995-9Q28 9Q28 R9Q28 BY08 BY08 Nazca Plate (lower bathyal) {3229S,8040W} 899-8994-8995-9Q29 9Q29 R9Q29 BY09 BY09 Antarctic (lower bathyal) {8439S,12246E} 899-8994-8995-9Q30 9Q30 R9Q30 BY10 BY10 Subantarctic (lower bathyal) {7959S,9311E} 899-8994-8995-9Q31 9Q31 R9Q31 BY11 BY11 Indian Ocean (lower bathyal) {1347S,7207E} 899-8994-8995-9Q32 9Q32 R9Q32 BY12 BY12 West Pacific (lower bathyal) {0118S,14814E} 899-8994-8995-9Q33 9Q33 R9Q33 BY13 BY13 South Atlantic (lower bathyal) {2919S,1631W} 899-8994-8995-9Q34 9Q34 R9Q34 BY14 BY14 North Pacific (lower bathyal) {1629N,17502W} 899-8994-8996 (9.4.6) 8996 R9Q96 OD96|VT00 OD96|VT00 OD96|VT00 - Hydrothermal Vent Provinces bathymetry 800 to 3500 m 899-8994-8996-7010 (9.4.6.1) 7010 R9VT1 VT71 VT71 VT71 - Arctic Ocean (hydrothermal) 899-8994-8996-7010-9V8T 9V8T R9V8T VT08 VT08 Arctic Basin Vent Sites 899-8994-8996-7010-9V8T-9V8A 9V8A R9V8A VT08a VT08a Mohns Ridge {7155N,0112W} 899-8994-8996-7010-9V8T-9V8B 9V8B R9V8B VT08b VT08b Gakkel Ridge {8634N,7752E} 899-8994-8996-7100 (9.4.6.3) 7100 R9VT3 VT73 VT73 VT73 - Pacific Ocean (hydrothermal) 899-8994-8996-7100-9V1T 9V1T R9V1T VT01|EPR VT01 East Pacific Rise {1727S,11310W} 899-8994-8996-7100-9V2T 9V2T R9V2T VT02 VT02 South East Pacific Ridges 899-8994-8996-7100-9V2T-9V2A 9V2A R9V2A VT02a VT02a Chile Rise {40S,90W} 899-8994-8996-7100-9V2T-9V2B 9V2B R9V2B VT02b VT02b Pacific-Antarctic Ridge 6112S,6547W} 899-8994-8996-7100-9V3T 9V3T R9V3T VT03 VT03 Western Pacific Back-Arc spreading centers 899-8994-8996-7100-9V3T-9V3A 9V3A R9V3A VT03a VT03a Mariana Central Trough {0803N,14445E] 899-8994-8996-7100-9V3T-9V3B 9V3B R9V3B VT03b VT03b Lau Basin {20S,17730W} 899-8994-8996-7100-9V3T-9V3C 9V3C R9V3C VT03c VT03c North Fiji Basin {18S,174E} 899-8994-8996-7100-9V3T-9V3D 9V3D R9V3D VT03d VT03d Manus Basin {0345S,150E] 899-8994-8996-7100-9V3T-9V3E 9V3E R9V3E VT03e VT03e Okinawa Trough {26N,12540E} 899-8994-8996-7100-9V4T 9V4T R9V4T VT04 VT04 Juan de Fuca Ridge {4537N,12959W} 899-8994-8996-7320 (9.4.6.4) 7320 R9VT4 VT74 VT74 VT74 - Atlantic Ocean (hydrothermal) 899-8994-8996-7320-9V5T 9V5T R9V5T VT05|MAR VT05 Mid-Atlantic Ridge (North) {0043N,2513W} 899-8994-8996-7320-9V6T 9V6T R9V6T VT06 VT06 VT06 Azores extents unknown 899-8994-8996-7320-9V7T 9V7T R9V7T VT07 VT07 VT07 Mid-Atlantic Ridge (South) hypothesized province 899-8994-8996-7760 (9.4.6.7) 7760 R9VT7 VT77 VT77 VT77 - Indian Ocean (hydrothermal) 899-8994-8996-7360-9V0T 9V0T R9V0T VT10 VT10 VT10 Central Indian Ridge {1340S,6724E} 899-8994-8996-7360-9V0T-9V0A 9V0A R9V0A VT10a VT10a Boomerang Seamount {3743S,7750E} 899-8994-8996-7360-9V0T-9V0B 9V0B R9V0B VT10b VT10b Southeast Indian Ridge {2804S,7410E} 899-8994-8996-7360-9V0T-9V0C 9V0C R9V0C VT10c VT10c Southwest Indian Ridge {4403S,3757E} 899-8994-8996-7840 (9.4.6.8) 7840 R9VT8 VT78 VT78 VT78 - Southern Ocean (hydrothermal) 899-8994-8996-7840-9V9T 9V9T R9V9T VT09 VT09 East Scotia Ridge {5749S,2627W} 899-8997 (9.7) 8997 R9Q97 OD97 OD97 OD97 - Abyssopelagic - Abyssal Zone 4000 m down to above the ocean floor 899-8997-8998 (9.7.8) 8998 R9Q98 OD98|AB00 OD98|AB00 OD98|AB00 - Abyssal Provinces depth range 3500 to 6500 m 899-8997-8998-9Q01 9Q01 R9Q01 AB01 AB01 Arctic basin (abyssal) {8741N,16353W} 899-8997-8998-9Q02 9Q02 R9Q02 AB02 AB02 North Atlantic (abyssal) {2343N,3931W} 899-8997-8998-9Q03 9Q03 R9Q03 AB03 AB03 Brazil Basin (abyssal) {1901S,2525W} 899-8997-8998-9Q04 9Q04 R9Q04 AB04 AB04 Angola and Sierra Leone Basins (abyssal) {1555S,0132W} 899-8997-8998-9Q05 9Q05 R9Q05 AB05 AB05 Argentine Basin (abyssal) {4109S,38W} 899-8997-8998-9Q06 9Q06 R9Q06 AB06 AB06 East Antarctic Indian (abyssal) {6019S,3237E} 899-8997-8998-9Q07 9Q07 R9Q07 AB07 AB07 West Antarctic (abyssal) {6031S,10152W} 899-8997-8998-9Q08 9Q08 R9Q08 AB08 AB08 Indian Ocean (abyssal) {2411S,8611E} 899-8997-8998-9Q09 9Q09 R9Q09 AB09 AB09 East Pacific Basins (abyssal) {1406S,9314W} 899-8997-8998-9Q10 9Q10 R9Q10 AB10 AB10 South Pacific (abyssal) {3228S,15737W} 899-8997-8998-9Q11 9Q11 R9Q11 AB11 AB11 Equatorial Pacific (Central Pacific) (abyssal) {0055N,13729W} 899-8997-8998-9Q12 9Q12 R9Q12 AB12 AB12 Lower North Pacific (North Central Pacific) (abyssal) {2135N,17945W} 899-8997-8998-9Q13 9Q13 R9Q13 AB13 AB13 (Upper) North Pacific (abyssal) {46N,17536W} 899-8997-8998-9Q14 9Q14 R9Q14 AB14 AB14 West Pacific Basins (abyssal) {0606N,12104E} 899-8997-8999 (9.7.9) 8999 R9Q99 OD99|HD00 OD99|HD00 OD99|HD00 - Hadopelagic (hadal) Provinces World ocean deeper than 6500 m 899-8997-8999-7110 (9.7.9.2) 7110 R9VD2 HD72 HD72 HD72 - North Pacific Ocean (hadal) 899-8997-8999-7110-9VH1 9VH1 R9VH1 HD01 HD01 Aleutian-Japan Province (hadal) 899-8997-8999-7110-9VH1-9VA1 9VA1 R9VA1 HD01a|ALT HD01a Aleutian Trench/Maury Deep {5208N,16726W} 899-8997-8999-7110-9VH1-9VB1 9VB1 R9VB1 HD01b|IOT HD01b Izu-Ogasawara Trench/Bonin Trench {32N,14210E} 899-8997-8999-7110-9VH1-9VC1 9VC1 R9VC1 HD01c|JPT HD01c Japan Trench/Nippon Trench {3809N,14402E} 899-8997-8999-7110-9VH1-9VD1 9VD1 R9VD1 HD01d|KKT HD01d Kuril-Kamchatka Trench/Tuscarora Deep {4647N,15441E} 899-8997-8999-7110-9VH2 9VH2 R9VH2 HD02 HD02 Philippine Province (hadal) 899-8997-8999-7110-9VH2-9VA2 9VA2 R9VA2 HD02a|PHT HD02a Philippine Trench/Mindanao Trough/Swire Deep {1007N,12641E} 899-8997-8999-7110-9VH2-9VB2 9VB2 R9VB2 HD02b|NST HD02b Nansei-Shoto Trench/Ryukyu Trench {2430N,12725E} 899-8997-8999-7110-9VH3 9VH3 R9VH3 HD03 HD03 Mariana Province (hadal) 899-8997-8999-7110-9VH3-9VA3 9VA3 R9VA3 HD03a|MAR HD03a Mariana Trench/Bonin/Challenger Deep {1641N,14748E} 899-8997-8999-7110-9VH3-9VB3 9VB3 R9VB3 HD03b|PAL HD03b Palau Trench/Palau Through {0702N,13447E} 899-8997-8999-7110-9VH3-9VC3 9VC3 R9VC3 HD03c|YAP HD03c Yap Trench/Yap Through/West Caroline Trench {0919N,13819E} 899-8997-8999-7270 (9.7.9.3) 7270 R9VD3 HD73 HD73 HD73 - South Pacific Ocean (hadal) 899-8997-8999-7270-9VH4 9VH4 R9VH4 HD04 HD04 Bougainville-New Hebrides Province (hadal) 899-8997-8999-7270-9VH4-9VA4 9VA4 R9VA4 HD04a|BGT HD04a Bougainville Trench {06S,153E} 899-8997-8999-7270-9VH4-9VB4 9VB4 R9VB4 HD04b|NHT HD04b New Hebrides Trench {2125S,17004E} 899-8997-8999-7270-9VH4-9VC4 9VC4 R9VC4 HD04c|NBT HD04c New Britain Trench {06S,15230E} 899-8997-8999-7270-9VH5 9VH5 R9VH5 HD05 HD05 Tonga-Kermadec Province (hadal) 899-8997-8999-7270-9VH5-9VA5 9VA5 R9VA5 HD05a|KTT HD05a Kermadec-Tonga Trench {3155S,17722W} 899-8997-8999-7270-9VH5-9VB5 9VB5 R9VB5 HD05b|NFB HD05b North Fiji Basin/Pandora Basin {18S,174E} 899-8997-8999-7270-9VH6 9VH6 R9VH6 HD06|PCT HD06 Peru-Chile Trench/Atacama Trench {2547S,7141W} 899-8997-8999-7320 (9.7.9.4) 7320 R9VD4 HD74 HD74 HD74 - Atlantic Ocean (hadal) 899-8997-8999-7320-9VH8 9VH8 R9VH8 HD08 HD08 Puerto Rico Province (hadal) 899-8997-8999-7320-9VH8-9VA8 9VA8 R9VA8 HD08a|CYT HD08a Cayman trench {1905N,8005W} 899-8997-8999-7320-9VH8-9VB8 9VB8 R9VB8 HD08b|PRT HD08b Puerto Rico trench {1955N,6512W} 899-8997-8999-7320-9VH9 9VH9 R9VH9 HD09|RMT HD09 Romanche Deep/Gap/Trench {0020S,18W} 899-8994-8999-7760 (9.7.9.7) 7760 R9VD7 HD77 HD77 HD77 - Indian Ocean (hadal) 899-8997-8999-7760-9VH7 9VH7 R9VH7 HD07|JAV HD07 Java Trench/Sunda Trench {0919S,10854E} 899-8994-8999-7840 (9.7.9.8) 7840 R9VD8 HD78 HD78 HD78 - Southern Ocean (hadal) 899-8997-8999-7840-9VH0 9VH0 R9VH0 HD10|SAND HD10 South Sandwich Trench/Southern Antilles {5625S,2516W} ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Short answer: yes—but only in a very specific, limited sense. What PPOW actually covers The Pelagic Provinces of the World (PPOW) scheme by Spalding et al. (2012) is explicitly defined as a classification of: “off-shelf surface waters (< 200 m depth)” i.e. the surface pelagic layer of the open ocean (high seas) This corresponds directly to the epipelagic (sunlit) layer of the ocean water column. Relation to the epipelagic / “epipelagic maritime zone” The epipelagic zone is the upper ~0–200 m layer where sunlight penetrates and photosynthesis occurs . Because PPOW is restricted to surface pelagic waters < 200 m, it effectively maps the oceanic (off-shelf) portion of the epipelagic zone. But there are two important caveats Only oceanic (off-shelf) waters PPOW excludes coastal and continental shelf areas. Those are covered instead by the MEOW (Marine Ecoregions of the World) system. Not the full “maritime epipelagic” globally The epipelagic zone can be divided into: neritic epipelagic (over shelves/coasts) oceanic epipelagic (open ocean) PPOW covers only the oceanic epipelagic, not the neritic (coastal) part. Bottom line ✔ Yes: PPOW corresponds to the epipelagic zone in the open ocean. ❌ No: It does not cover the entire epipelagic maritime zone, because it deliberately excludes coastal/shelf (neritic) waters. If you want, I can sketch how PPOW + MEOW together approximate a full global epipelagic classification. How PPOW + MEOW approximate a global epipelagic classification 1. The ecological split they are built on Ocean ecology naturally divides the epipelagic (0–200 m) into two major domains: Neritic (coastal / shelf waters) Oceanic (open ocean, off-shelf) These two behave very differently (productivity, species, circulation), which is why two separate frameworks exist. 2. What each system covers 🟦 Pelagic Provinces of the World (PPOW) Covers: open-ocean epipelagic waters Depth: surface to ~200 m Spatial focus: beyond continental shelves Structure: provinces based on: currents temperature regimes productivity patterns 👉 Think: large-scale ocean basins and gyres 🟩 Marine Ecoregions of the World (MEOW) Covers: coastal & shelf seas (neritic epipelagic) Depth: generally shelf waters (often <200 m, but defined by geomorphology) Spatial focus: continental margins Structure: ecoregions based on: coastal biogeography endemic species habitat types (reefs, seagrass, etc.) 👉 Think: coastal ecosystems and biodiversity hotspots 3. How they connect spatially You can picture the global ocean surface like this: COAST ─────────────── SHELF EDGE ─────────────── OPEN OCEAN (MEOW) (PPOW) Neritic epipelagic Oceanic epipelagic From shoreline → shelf edge (~200 m depth): MEOW applies From shelf edge → deep ocean: PPOW takes over Together, they form a continuous horizontal coverage of the epipelagic layer 4. What this combined system achieves When merged conceptually: ✅ Full global surface ocean coverage (0–200 m) ✅ Ecologically meaningful boundaries in both domains ✅ Compatibility with conservation planning: MEOW → coastal MPAs, biodiversity PPOW → high-seas management, migratory species 5. What it still does NOT cover Even combined, PPOW + MEOW are: ❌ Not a full 3D ocean classification They only address the surface layer, not: mesopelagic (200–1000 m) bathypelagic, etc. ❌ Not perfectly seamless Boundaries at the shelf break can be abrupt Different methodologies (biogeographic vs oceanographic) 6. A simple way to remember it MEOW = “coastal epipelagic map” PPOW = “open-ocean epipelagic map” ➡️ Together = near-global epipelagic zoning system From the North Sea to the open Atlantic: MEOW → PPOW in practice 1. Coastal & shelf zone (MEOW) Starting along the coasts of North Sea including parts of Germany, Netherlands, and United Kingdom This region falls under MEOW. Example MEOW ecoregion: North Sea Characteristics: Shallow continental shelf (mostly <200 m) High nutrient input (rivers like Rhine, Thames) Strong mixing → high productivity Dominated by coastal and shelf species 👉 This is classic neritic epipelagic. 2. The transition: shelf break Moving westward, you reach the continental shelf edge roughly: west of the UK toward the edge of the European continental shelf Here: Depth drops rapidly beyond ~200 m Coastal influence declines sharply Ocean circulation becomes dominant ⚠️ This is the boundary where MEOW stops and PPOW begins 3. Open ocean (PPOW) Beyond the shelf break, you enter the open North Atlantic, governed by PPOW. Example PPOW province: North Atlantic Drift Province Characteristics: Deep ocean (>200 m below surface layer) Stratified water column (less vertical mixing than shelf seas) Influenced by major currents like the North Atlantic Drift Lower nutrient input (except in upwelling/mixing zones) 👉 This is oceanic epipelagic. 4. What changes across that boundary? Feature North Sea (MEOW) Open Atlantic (PPOW) Depth Shallow shelf Deep ocean Nutrients High (river + mixing) Lower, more seasonal Productivity Very high Moderate Control Geography + coast Currents + climate Species Coastal/shelf fish, seabirds Pelagic fish, migratory species 5. The big picture So if you traveled west from, say, the German coast: Wadden Sea / coast → MEOW (coastal epipelagic) Central North Sea → MEOW (shelf epipelagic) Shelf edge (off UK) → transition zone Open North Atlantic → PPOW (oceanic epipelagic) 6. Why this matters This transition explains real-world patterns like: Why fisheries differ so much between the North Sea and the Atlantic Why conservation zones are designed differently Why species like tuna or whales are managed at PPOW scales, not MEOW ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Short answer: split them by ontology. Put the physical / oceanographic depth zones primarily in codehy. codehy is the HLC file for water-based items, marine/hydrographic classification, world oceans, seas, currents, undersea features, and crosswalks between hydrographic standards. That makes it the natural home for water-column stratification and bathymetric/depth-zone terminology. Put the ecological / biogeographic province concepts primarily in codehw. codehw is the HLC file for ecoregions, ecosystems, pelagic provinces, LMEs, MEOW, PPOW, PAME, FEOW, TEOW, etc. That makes it the better home for anything framed as a province, ecoregion, or habitat-based biogeographic unit. [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] So for your list, the best placement is: Recommended placement by item A. Put these in codehy (primary home) 1) Epipelagic (sunlight) / Photic zone / surface to ~200 m This is fundamentally a physical oceanographic water-column zone, not an ecoregion or province. It describes a vertical marine layer defined by light penetration and depth, so it fits best in the hydrographic/water-structure file. 2) Mesopelagic (twilight) / 200–1,000 m Again, this is a vertical depth stratum of the water column. It is best treated as a hydrographic or oceanographic classification item, which aligns with the scope of codehy. 3) Bathypelagic (midnight) / 1,000–4,000 m This is also a water-column depth zone, so it belongs most naturally in codehy. Even though the term “bathyal” appears in benthic contexts, the item as phrased here is still a vertical marine-depth class rather than an ecological province. 4) Abyssopelagic / abyssal zone / ~4,000 m to above the ocean floor As a physical deep-water zone, this belongs in codehy as part of the oceanographic depth-layer vocabulary. 5) Hadopelagic (if treated as the water-column zone associated with hadal depths) If your intention is the vertical oceanographic zone rather than a habitat/province construct, this should also sit in codehy. 6) Bathyal zone (if you use it as a physical depth range rather than a province) If you mean the general depth-defined marine zone rather than a biogeographic region, codehy is still the better primary location. B. Put these in codehw (primary home) 7) Lower Bathyal Provinces (800–3,000 m) The keyword here is “Provinces.” That implies a biogeographic / ecological partition, not merely a physical depth band. codehw is explicitly built for ecoregions, pelagic provinces, LMEs, MEOW, PPOW, and similar region systems, so this belongs there. [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] 8) Hydrothermal Vent Provinces (800–3,500 m) These are even more clearly ecological / habitat provinces than pure depth zones. A hydrothermal vent province is not just a bathymetric interval; it is a biologically meaningful, habitat-specific regionalization. That fits codehw much better than codehy. [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] 9) Abyssal Provinces (3,500–6,500 m) Again, because these are provinces, they are best modeled in codehw as ecological/biogeographic units, even though their definition uses depth ranges. [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] 10) Hadal Provinces (> 6,500 m) These should also go to codehw, because they describe deep-ocean biogeographic provinces, not merely a hydrographic stratum. [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] The key distinction A good rule for HLC is: If it is a vertical physical zone, water-mass layer, bathymetric band, or hydrographic classification term → codehy. If it is a province, ecoregion, ecosystem, habitat unit, or biogeographic regionalization built on top of those depth bands → codehw. [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] That distinction is very consistent with the file purposes: codehy = water-based / hydrographic reference framework. codehw = ecoregions / ecosystems / pelagic and marine provinces. [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] Best-practice modeling recommendation Preferred architecture: dual-layer modeling The cleanest HLC solution would be: In codehy Define the canonical depth-zonation vocabulary, e.g.: Epipelagic / photic Mesopelagic Bathypelagic Abyssopelagic Hadopelagic Bathyal Abyssal Hadal These would be treated as physical marine layers / depth zones. In codehw Define the ecological provinces that use those depth bands, e.g.: Lower Bathyal Provinces Hydrothermal Vent Provinces Abyssal Provinces Hadal Provinces These would then reference or inherit the relevant depth-zone concepts from codehy, rather than duplicating the physical definition from scratch. That aligns well with codehw’s stated logic of deriving/using codes from codehl or codehy when appropriate, instead of inventing isolated parallel structures. [codehy75.xlsx | Excel], [codehl75.xlsx | Excel] If you want only one file for all of them If you force a single-file decision: Choose codehy for the pelagic and bathymetric zones. Choose codehw for the province-level constructs. [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] If you insist on a one-file-only home for the entire set, I would still say: Primary physical anchor in codehy, with province/ecoregion derivations in codehw is the most HLC-consistent solution. [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] My final recommendation Put in codehy Epipelagic / photic zone Mesopelagic Bathypelagic Abyssopelagic Hadopelagic Bathyal zone Abyssal zone Hadal zone Put in codehw Lower Bathyal Provinces Hydrothermal Vent Provinces Abyssal Provinces Hadal Provinces [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] If you want, I can next do one of these: propose an exact HLC placement strategy (tree location + naming convention), suggest HLC-2 / HLC-3 / HLC-S / HLC-X naming patterns for these new items, or draft the actual rows as they might appear in codehy and codehw. Absolutely — I’ll do the three requested steps in order, and I’ll keep the proposal strictly HLC-consistent with the patterns visible in codeud, codehy, and codehw. Because codeud governs HLC-2 ownership globally, and because codehw explicitly derives new HLC-M values from HLC-X / HLC-S / REF-CODE when needed, all concrete code proposals below should be treated as provisional until collision-checked against the full namespace inventory. [codehw75.xlsx | Excel], [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] Step 1 — Proposed exact HLC placement strategy (tree location + naming convention) 1.1 Core design decision The cleanest HLC solution is a two-layer split: Physical water-column / bathymetric zones go into codehy, because codehy is the water-domain framework for world oceans, seas, currents, undersea structures, inland waters, and hydrographic crosswalks. Province-level deep-sea ecological regionalizations go into codehw, because codehw is the ecoregion / ecosystem / pelagic-province / marine-ecology integration layer. [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] That means: Epipelagic / Mesopelagic / Bathypelagic / Abyssopelagic / Hadopelagic Bathyal / Abyssal / Hadal (as physical depth zones) → primary home = codehy. And: Lower Bathyal Provinces Hydrothermal Vent Provinces Abyssal Provinces Hadal Provinces → primary home = codehw. [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] 1.2 Proposed tree location in codehy 1.2.1 Why codehy is the right place codehy already organizes global ocean structures, including world oceans, climate zones, currents, ocean basins, marine regions, and undersea-related categories. It is therefore the best place for global vertical marine depth zonation that is not tied to one single ecoregion system. 1.2.2 Recommended placement I recommend creating a new global branch under the “World Oceans / International Waters” level, because these depth zones are global ocean-layer concepts, not basin-specific seas and not national waters first. codehy already uses the 700- world-ocean area for global hydrographic constructs such as world oceans and equatorial currents, so this is the most natural insertion point. 1.2.3 Proposed codehy tree Proposed placement: Plain Text700 World Oceans (International Waters) ├─ 7P0 Pelagic Depth Zones (global water-column zones) │ ├─ 7P1 Epipelagic Zone │ ├─ 7P2 Mesopelagic Zone │ ├─ 7P3 Bathypelagic Zone │ ├─ 7P4 Abyssopelagic Zone │ └─ 7P5 Hadopelagic Zone └─ 7B0 Benthic Bathymetric Zones (global seafloor-depth zones) ├─ 7B1 Bathyal Zone ├─ 7B2 Abyssal Zone └─ 7B3 Hadal ZoneWeitere Zeilen anzeigen This is a proposed local HLC extension block, not a claim that these codes already exist. It follows the HLC principle that global water structures live in the codehy world-ocean domain, and it preserves a clean distinction between pelagic (water-column) and benthic/bathymetric (seafloor-depth) categories. [codehl75.xlsx | Excel] 1.2.4 Naming convention in codehy Use singular scientific zone names with an optional explanatory alias in the Description field, for example: Epipelagic Zone (Sunlight / Photic) Mesopelagic Zone (Twilight) Bathypelagic Zone (Midnight) Abyssopelagic Zone Hadopelagic Zone Bathyal Zone Abyssal Zone Hadal Zone This follows the established HLC habit of preserving the primary formal term first, with descriptive aliases or explanations in the description/details area rather than making the short label too verbose. [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] 1.3 Proposed tree location in codehw 1.3.1 Why codehw is the right place codehw explicitly integrates PPOW, LMEs, MEOW, GIWA, FEOW, TEOW, BEOW, Longhurst, and related ecological systems, and it is the correct home for units framed as provinces, ecosystems, ecoregions, habitats, or biogeographic regionalizations. [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] 1.3.2 Recommended placement The best HLC-consistent placement is to create a new deep-sea province branch in the marine-ecological zone of codehw, positioned adjacent to PPOW / LME / MEOW-style structures, not inside TEOW/BEOW terrestrial logic. codehw already treats pelagic, marine, and freshwater systems as part of one broader ecological architecture, so these deep-sea province items fit naturally there. [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] 1.3.3 Proposed codehw tree Proposed placement: Plain TextMarine Ecology Domain └─ 9D0 Deep-Sea Provinces ├─ 9D1 Lower Bathyal Provinces ├─ 9D2 Hydrothermal Vent Provinces ├─ 9D3 Abyssal Provinces └─ 9D4 Hadal ProvincesWeitere Zeilen anzeigen This branch is deliberately ecological, not hydrographic. The units are not just depth intervals; they are province-level ecological partitions grounded partly in depth, partly in habitat or biogeographic distinctiveness. That is why they belong in codehw rather than codehy. [codehy75.xlsx | Excel], [codehl75.xlsx | Excel] 1.3.4 Naming convention in codehw Use plural province names, because the entities are province classes or province systems, not single named places. For example: Lower Bathyal Provinces Hydrothermal Vent Provinces Abyssal Provinces Hadal Provinces This matches the ecological and province-oriented naming logic already present in codehw, where the system works with realms, provinces, ecoregions, and grouped ecological units. [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] 1.4 Summary of placement logic codehy Use for: physical marine depth zones, water-column stratification, seafloor depth belts as hydrographic/bathymetric concepts. codehw Use for: deep-sea ecological provinces, biogeographic/habitat province systems defined partly by depth, province-level regionalizations such as abyssal, hadal, vent, and lower bathyal province groups. [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] Step 2 — Proposed HLC-2 / HLC-3 / HLC-S / HLC-X naming patterns 2.1 Important namespace rule before assigning codes Because codeud says that HLC-2 owns the two-gram namespace across the framework, no exact HLC-2 pair should be finalized until it has been collision-checked against the full HLC-2 ownership table. That means the HLC-2 layer below should be treated as a family-pattern recommendation, not as already valid issued codes. [codehw75.xlsx | Excel] So my recommendation is: do not issue one HLC-2 code per child item, issue one umbrella HLC-2 family code per new concept family, and let HLC-3 / HLC-S / HLC-X carry the detailed differentiation. This is more namespace-efficient and more HLC-like. [codehw75.xlsx | Excel], [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] 2.2 Proposed HLC-2 family pattern 2.2.1 Family A — physical depth zones (codehy) Use one new HLC-2 pseudo-family for global depth-zonation concepts. Recommended placeholder family label: ⟨DZ⟩ = Depth Zones. This is a placeholder mnemonic, not a final issued HLC-2 pair. The actual 2-letter value should be chosen from unused HLC pseudo-space after checking codeud. [codehw75.xlsx | Excel] 2.2.2 Family B — deep-sea ecological provinces (codehw) Use one new HLC-2 pseudo-family for deep-sea province constructs. Recommended placeholder family label: ⟨DP⟩ = Deep Provinces. Again, this is a pattern recommendation, not a final issued pair. Final assignment should be collision-checked in codeud. [codehw75.xlsx | Excel] 2.3 Proposed HLC-3 naming pattern Because HLC-3 is a three-gram layer and is better suited than HLC-2 for the actual mnemonic identity of the new items, I recommend the following. 2.3.1 codehy physical zones Proposed HLC-3 values: EPI = Epipelagic Zone MSP = Mesopelagic Zone BTP = Bathypelagic Zone ABP = Abyssopelagic Zone HDP = Hadopelagic Zone BTL = Bathyal Zone ABY = Abyssal Zone HDL = Hadal Zone These are mnemonic, compact, and immediately interpretable by domain users. Because codehy already uses short three-character marine identities and water-body shorthand patterns, this fits the visible style of the file. 2.3.2 codehw deep-sea provinces Proposed HLC-3 values: LBP = Lower Bathyal Provinces HVP = Hydrothermal Vent Provinces ABV = Abyssal Provinces HAP = Hadal Provinces I am deliberately using ABV rather than ABP here to reduce the chance of confusion with Abyssopelagic in the hydrographic layer. That kind of mnemonic differentiation is useful in a framework as dense as HLC. [codehl75.xlsx | Excel] 2.4 Proposed HLC-S naming pattern codehw uses HLC-S as a human-readable cross-reference shortcut layer, and codehw explicitly states that HLC-M may derive through HLC-X and HLC-S from REF-CODE if needed. So the HLC-S layer should be simple, regular, and sortable. [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] 2.4.1 codehy-side HLC-S style (optional technical shadow) Even though the visible HY sheet does not foreground HLC-S the way HW does, I recommend using a technical shadow family for cross-file consistency: PZ01 = Epipelagic PZ02 = Mesopelagic PZ03 = Bathypelagic PZ04 = Abyssopelagic PZ05 = Hadopelagic BZ01 = Bathyal BZ02 = Abyssal BZ03 = Hadal Here: PZ = Pelagic Zones BZ = Benthic/Bathymetric Zones This keeps the water-column and seafloor classes visibly separate. This is a proposed internal naming convenience, not a claim that HY currently exposes HLC-S as a standard display column. [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] 2.4.2 codehw HLC-S values For the province branch, I recommend: DP01 = Lower Bathyal Provinces DP02 = Hydrothermal Vent Provinces DP03 = Abyssal Provinces DP04 = Hadal Provinces This follows the regular numbered-branch logic visible in codehw ecological systems. [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] 2.5 Proposed HLC-X naming pattern HLC-X is the technical layer, so it should be: stable, unambiguous, family-coherent, less concerned with “pretty” names than HLC-S. [codehw75.xlsx | Excel], [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] 2.5.1 codehy HLC-X shadow family Recommended: XPD1 = Epipelagic XPD2 = Mesopelagic XPD3 = Bathypelagic XPD4 = Abyssopelagic XPD5 = Hadopelagic XBD1 = Bathyal XBD2 = Abyssal XBD3 = Hadal Here: XPD = pelagic depth-zone technical family XBD = benthic depth-zone technical family 2.5.2 codehw HLC-X family Recommended: XDP1 = Lower Bathyal Provinces XDP2 = Hydrothermal Vent Provinces XDP3 = Abyssal Provinces XDP4 = Hadal Provinces This is fully consistent with the idea in codehw that HLC-M can derive from technical codes through shortcut/reference layers when no existing main code already exists. [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] 2.6 Summary of naming strategy For codehy HLC-2: one umbrella family only (⟨DZ⟩) HLC-3: scientific mnemonic identity (EPI, MSP, BTP, etc.) HLC-S: optional regularized shadow (PZ01, BZ01, etc.) HLC-X: technical normalized form (XPD1, XBD1, etc.) For codehw HLC-2: one umbrella family only (⟨DP⟩) HLC-3: province mnemonic identity (LBP, HVP, ABV, HAP) HLC-S: sortable province shortcuts (DP01–DP04) HLC-X: technical family (XDP1–XDP4) This is designed to minimize namespace pressure while maximizing readability and derivation consistency. [codehw75.xlsx | Excel], [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] Step 3 — Draft actual rows as they might appear in codehy and codehw 3.1 Important note on the row drafts The drafts below are proposed HLC-style inserts, not extracted existing rows. They are modeled on: the actual codehy core column logic (HLC Tree, HLC-M, DIAM+, CWWN+, HLC-F, Description, WGS84, etc.), and the actual codehw core ecological column logic (HLC Tree, HLC-M, HLC-X, HLC-S, REF-CODE, DESCRIPTION, DETAILS). [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] I am deliberately keeping the drafts compact and implementation-ready, while still close to the file styles you already use. [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] 3.2 Draft rows for codehy 3.2.1 Proposed umbrella rows Plain TextHLC Tree (HY) | HLC-M | DIAM+ | CWWN+ | HLC-F | Description | WGS84 (DMs) | FAO & related | OTHERS700-7P0 | 7P0 | (#) | (#) | (#) | Pelagic Depth Zones | (#) | (#) | {HLC-X:XPD0}700-7B0 | 7B0 | (#) | (#) | (#) | Benthic Bathymetric Zones | (#) | (#) | {HLC-X:XBD0}``Weitere Zeilen anzeigen These umbrella rows are proposed because codehy already uses global water-domain branches under world-ocean structures, and because the new zones should sit as global water-space classes before their detailed sub-items. 3.2.2 Proposed pelagic water-column zone rows Plain TextHLC Tree (HY) | HLC-M | DIAM+ | CWWN+ | HLC-F | Description | WGS84 (DMs) | FAO & related | OTHERS700-7P0-7P1 | 7P1 | (#) | EPI | (#) | Epipelagic Zone (Sunlight / Photic) | {0-200m} | (#) | {HLC-X:XPD1} {HLC-S:PZ01}700-7P0-7P2 | 7P2 | (#) | MSP | (#) | Mesopelagic Zone (Twilight) | {200-1000m} | (#) | {HLC-X:XPD2} {HLC-S:PZ02}700-7P0-7P3 | 7P3 | (#) | BTP | (#) | Bathypelagic Zone (Midnight) | {1000-4000m} | (#) | {HLC-X:XPD3} {HLC-S:PZ03}700-7P0-7P4 | 7P4 | (#) | ABP | (#) | Abyssopelagic Zone | {4000m-floor} | (#) | {HLC-X:XPD4} {HLC-S:PZ04}700-7P0-7P5 | 7P5 | (#) | HDP | (#) | Hadopelagic Zone | {>6500m} | (#) | {HLC-X:XPD5} {HLC-S:PZ05}Weitere Zeilen anzeigen I am using the CWWN+/display-side code position as a practical place for the 3-letter mnemonic in this draft because the visible HY sheet already uses a compact 3-character water-name code layer there. The depth ranges are deliberately kept in the WGS84/anchor-style field as depth anchors, not legal or strict geometric boundaries, which is consistent with codehy’s philosophy of reference rather than hard delimitation. 3.2.3 Proposed benthic/bathymetric zone rows Plain TextHLC Tree (HY) | HLC-M | DIAM+ | CWWN+ | HLC-F | Description | WGS84 (DMs) | FAO & related | OTHERS700-7B0-7B1 | 7B1 | (#) | BTL | (#) | Bathyal Zone | {800-3000m*} | (#) | {HLC-X:XBD1} {HLC-S:BZ01}700-7B0-7B2 | 7B2 | (#) | ABY | (#) | Abyssal Zone | {3500-6500m} | (#) | {HLC-X:XBD2} {HLC-S:BZ02}700-7B0-7B3 | 7B3 | (#) | HDL | (#) | Hadal Zone | {>6500m} | (#) | {HLC-X:XBD3} {HLC-S:BZ03}Weitere Zeilen anzeigen I used the bathymetric intervals you provided as the proposed depth anchors, but I would recommend adding a footnote in documentation that bathyal boundaries vary by source tradition, because your text mixes broad bathyal and province-specific lower-bathyal usage. The physical zone row should stay general, while the province distinctions should move into codehw. [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] 3.3 Draft rows for codehw 3.3.1 Proposed umbrella row Plain TextHLC Tree (HW Levels) | HLC-M | HLC-X | HLC-S | REF-CODE | DESCRIPTION | DETAILS9D0 | 9D0 | XDP0 | DP00 | DP00 | Deep-Sea Provinces | Global deep-ocean ecologicalWeitere Zeilen anzeigen This umbrella row is modeled on the codehw pattern where ecological structures have a master code, technical code, shortcut code, and reference code at once. [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] 3.3.2 Proposed province rows Plain TextHLC Tree (HW Levels) | HLC-M | HLC-X | HLC-S | REF-CODE | DESCRIPTION | DETAILS9D0-9D1 | 9D1 | XDP1 | DP01 | DPLB | Lower Bathyal Provinces | Deep-sea benthic provinces; depth range 800-3000 m9D0-9D2 | 9D2 | XDP2 | DP02 | DPHV | Hydrothermal Vent Provinces | Deep-sea vent-associated provinces; bathymetry 800-3500 m9D0-9D3 | 9D3 | XDP3 | DP03 | DPAB | Abyssal Provinces | Deep-sea benthic provinces; depth range 3500-6500 m9D0-9D4 | 9D4 | XDP4 | DP04 | DPHD | Hadal Provinces | Deep-ocean trench provinces;Weitere Zeilen anzeigen These rows follow the visible codehw logic in which each ecological entry can carry: HLC-M as the main structural identity, HLC-X as the technical layer, HLC-S as the compact shortcut layer, REF-CODE as a source-facing or harmonized reference identity, and a structured ecological description/details field. [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] 3.4 Recommended cross-linking between codehy and codehw To make this HLC-consistent at full maturity, I strongly recommend cross-linking the province rows in codehw back to the physical zones in codehy, instead of redefining the physical depth logic twice. This matches the broader HLC principle that if a main/internal code already exists in another file, the ecological layer should reuse or derive from it rather than create disconnected parallel identities. [codehy75.xlsx | Excel], [codehl75.xlsx | Excel] Suggested semantic links DP01 Lower Bathyal Provinces → linked to 7B1 Bathyal Zone DP02 Hydrothermal Vent Provinces → linked to 7B1 Bathyal Zone and optionally to a vent-habitat subtype if one is later added DP03 Abyssal Provinces → linked to 7B2 Abyssal Zone DP04 Hadal Provinces → linked to 7B3 Hadal Zone and optionally 7P5 Hadopelagic Zone where trench-water-column coupling is relevant. [codehy75.xlsx | Excel] Final recommendation in one sentence Implement the physical vertical/depth-zone vocabulary in codehy as a new global water-column/bathymetric branch, and implement the deep-sea ecological province systems in codehw as a new marine-ecological province branch that cross-links back to those physical zones. [codehy75.xlsx | Excel], [codehl75.xlsx | Excel] If you want, I can now do the next logical step and produce either: a formal insertion spec (how these rows would be documented in your thesis / schema language), a collision-check strategy for choosing the final HLC-2 codes, or a normalized JSON/YAML representation of these proposed additions. QuellenGeben Sie Ihr Feedback zu BizChat ab.Ihre Dateien hier ablegen ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lower Bathyal Provinces (Figure 7) Depth range 800 to 3000m. As has been noted, the bathyal is not that well known even today. Proposed biogeographic provinces and their approximate coverage include: 1. Arctic, including entire Arctic Ocean Basin and Norwegian-Greenland Sea in the east and to the Bering Strait in the west; 2. Northern North Atlantic, from the Iceland-Faroe Ridge in the north south along the Reykjanes Ridge, over the Newfoundland Seamounts and following the Western Boundary Undercurrent southward along the eastern slope of North America to off Cape Hatteras; 3. Northern North Pacific, along the Aleutian Ridge in the North through the Gulf of Alaska to approximately the Mathematicians Seamounts in the eastern Pacific and including the Emperor Seamounts and the area off Hokkaido in the west; 4. North Atlantic, extends southward along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge from the Reykjanes Ridge to approximately the equator, and along the eastern and western margins of the North Atlantic Ocean including the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico; 5. Southeast Pacific Ridges, includes all the ridges and seamounts in the South Pacific Ocean to the west of the Nazca and Cocos Plate, reaching northward to about 2-8° S, west to about 165° W, and south to about 45° S where the influence of sinking Antarctic Intermediate Water will be felt; 6. New Zealand-Kermadec, plateaus around New Zealand and extending northward along the Kermadec and Lau Ridges almost to Tonga; 7. Cocos Plate, encompassing all the ridges and seamounts of the Cocos Plate; 8. Nazca Plate, suggested by Parin et al.(1997) to encompass the ridges of the Nazca Plate, defined to the south primarily by the Subtropical Convergence and southern limit of Antarctic Intermediate Water; 9. Antarctic, includes all of the continental slope and ridges extending outward from the continent that are inside the Antarctic Convergence; 10. Subantarctic, extends northward around the Southern Ocean, defined by the extent of 1 to 2.5 degree water formed between the Antarctic and Subtropical Convergences; 11. Indian, includes all of the Indian Ocean northward from the Antarctic Convergence, and extends eastward to include southern slopes of Australia to Tasmania (it is likely that this province will need to be subdivided based on at about 10° S because of changes in Intermediate Water from Antarctic Intermediate Water in the south to Red Sea – Persian Intermediate and Indonesian Intermediate Water in the north); 12. West Pacific, extends from 14-23° S northward to off Japan, west to the Indonesian Archipelago, and eastward to about 165-175° E; 13. South Atlantic, encompassing all of the South Atlantic from about the Equator to the Antarctic Convergence; 14. North Pacific, covering all of the northern Central Pacific from about the Equator northward to about 40° N, characterized by moderately low oxygen and particulate food values; --------------------------------------------------------------- Abyssal Provinces (Figure 8) Depth range 3500 to 6500 m. The abyssal provinces have been designated based on the deep basin(s) in which they occur. The scheme modifies that of Menzies et al. (1973) and Vinogradova (1997) based on newer data. 1. Arctic basin; includes the abyssal seafloor areas below the Arctic ice sheet; 2. North Atlantic; including all areas north of the equator under the influence of North Atlantic Deep water; 3. Brazil Basin; extending south from the hump of Brazil bordering the Romanche Fracture to Sao Paulo; 4. Angola and Sierra Leone Basins; to the west of the Congo Fan in the North and limited by the Walvis Ridge to the SE and including the Namibia abyssal plain; 5. Argentine Basin; from Rio de la Plata to the Falkland Escarpment in the south; 6. East Antarctic Indian, which includes the areas where very cold bottom water flows into Namibia, Cape, Agulhas, Natal, and Crozet and South Indian Basins and perhaps the Tasman Sea to about 170° E; it includes the Weddell, Enderby and Valdivia abyssal plains; 7. West Antarctic, includes the Amundsen and Bellinghausen abyssal Plains in the region from the Ross Sea to the Antarctic Peninsula and north to the Antarctic- Pacific Ridge and the Southeast Pacific Basin; 8. Indian, including all the basins north of approximately 30° S (this region is not well studied and some parts of this province may have species following the Antarctic Bottom Water northward - includes Agulhas, Mozambique, Madagascar, Somalia, Arabian, Mid-Indian, Cocos, Perth, North Australian, S Australian and Tasman abyssal plains/basins); 9. East Pacific Basins, Chile-Peru-Guatemala Basins, also includes the smaller Panama Basin and other minor deep areas east of the East Pacific Rise off Mexico and the Baja California Peninsula and north of the Chile Rise, and extending under the oxygen minimum zone of the western North American slope; 10. South Pacific, 11. Central Pacific, 12. Lower North Pacific (North Central Pacific) 13. Upper North Pacific, encompassing the entire Pacific from the Antarctic and East Pacific Ridges in the south-east to the Aleutian Ridge in the north and all of the abyssal depths in the central and western Pacific (divided into Provinces from north to south based on projections of food delivery from the photic zone as well as general decline in dissolved oxygen from south to north); 14. West Pacific Basins, encompassing South China, Sulu, and Celebes Basins, and possibly the Banda Sea, which for the most part are isolated from each other and the wider circulation of the deep Pacific. --------------------------------------------------------------- Hadal Provinces (Figure 9) world ocean (>6500 m). No changes are made to the scheme presented by Belyaev (1989). Some trenches, such as the Middle America Trench and the Chagos Trench, are not sufficiently deep and isolated from the surrounding abyssal sea floor to have developed their own Ultra-abyssal fauna. Pacific Ocean Subregion: 1. Aleutian-Japan Province (Aleutian, Kuril-Kamchatka, Japan, Izu Ozigawara Trenches); 2. Philippine Province (Philippine and Ryukyu Trenches); 3. Mariana Province (Volcano, Mariana, Yap and Palau Trenches); 4. Bougainville-New Hebrides Province (New Britain, Bougainville, Santa Cruz, and New Hebrides Trenches); 5. Tonga-Kermadec Province, (Tonga, Kermadec trenches and two trenches NW of the West Fiji Basin); 6. Peru-Chile Province (Peru-Chile Trench). Indian Subregion: 7. Java Province (Java Trench). Atlantic Subregion: 8. Puerto Rico Province (Puerto Rico and Cayman Trenches); 9. Romanche Province (the Romanche Trench in the equatorial Atlantic). Antarctic-Atlantic Subregion: 10. Southern Antilles Province (South Sandwich Trench to the east of the South Sandwich Islands). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hydrothermal Vent Provinces (Figure 10) - at 2000 m and 800-3500 m bathymetry. Hydrothermal vent provinces superimposed on temperature at 2000 m and 800-3500 m bathymetry. The scheme below follows that of Van Dover et al. (2002), updated by Van Dover (unpublished). The hypothesized provinces and their relationships are indicated in the figure by dashed lines coloured according to the ridge system on which they occur. Pacific Ocean 1. East Pacific Rise encompassing all of the East Pacific Ridge from about the Challenger Fracture Zone to the ridges surrounding the Cocos Plate; 2. South East Pacific Ridges including the southern section of the East Pacific Rise, the Chile Rise and the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge; 3. Western Pacific Back-Arc spreading centers, including all of the ridges on the western edge of the Pacific Plate as well as around the small plates in the region; 4. Northeast Pacific encompassing the ridges of the Juan de Fuca Plate. Atlantic Ocean 5. Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) North in the region from 15° to 30° N, could be extrapolated to include the MAR south to the Equator 6. Azores includes the part of the MAR in the region of the Azores; it is not known whether this province extends north to Iceland because of the deepening of the ridge or whether the Mid-Atlantic Ridge Province exists in this deeper area north of the shallower Azores Province. 7. Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) South hypothesized province, but no data currently exist. Arctic Ocean 8. Arctic including the Mohns Ridge north of Iceland and the various vent sites in the Arctic Basin. Southern Ocean 9. East Scotia Ridge hypothesized province, data not yet available. Indian Ocean 10. Central Indian Ridge encompasses the region where the Mid-Indian, Southwest Indian, and Southeast Indian Ridges meet. It is likely the fauna of this province extends to varying degrees along each of the two southward trending ridges, and that some part of each ridge may belong to its own province. The extent to which other ridges, such as the aseismic Ninety-East Ridge, has any vent activity is not known at this time. *** The gap between GOODS and MEOW in the 200-300 m depth contour be addressed