The Digital Fish Library

Species found in the zone where physical processes of the land and sea interact. This region displays a wide diversity of geomorphological types and ecosystems. The coastal ocean is a relatively shallow (<200 m) area, with an average depth of the continental shelf-slope break close to 125 m. It is metabolically very active and very heterogeneous in comparison to the remainder of the ocean. It is also significantly impacted by human modifications of fluxes of water, nutrients, and organic matter, particularly in inshore waters.