pelagic

[ puh-laj-ik ]

adjective

1. of or relating to the open seas or oceans.
2. living or growing at or near the surface of the ocean, far from land, as certain organisms.

pelagic

/ pɛˈlædʒɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to the open sea

   pelagic whaling

2. (of marine life) living or occurring in the upper waters of open sea
3. (of geological formations) derived from material that has fallen to the bottom from the upper waters of the sea

pelagic

/ pə-lăj′ĭk /

1. Relating to or living in or on oceanic waters. The pelagic zone of the ocean begins at the low tide mark and includes the entire oceanic water column. The pelagic ecosystem is largely dependent on the phytoplankton inhabiting the upper, sunlit regions, where most ocean organisms live. Biodiversity decreases sharply in the unlit zones where water pressure is high, temperatures are cold, and food sources scarce. Pelagic waters are divided, in descending order, into the epipelagic, mesopelagic, bathypelagic, abyssopelagic, and hadopelagic zones .

Other Words From

• nonpe·lagic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pelagic¹

1650–60; < Latin pelagicus < Greek pelagikós, equivalent to pélag ( os ) the sea + -ikos -ic

Word History and Origins

Origin of pelagic¹

C17: from Latin pelagicus, from pelagus, from Greek pelagos sea

Example Sentences

The usual hue of the living version is greenish-brown, according to John Ugoretz, pelagic fisheries and ecosystem program manager for the department.

From Los Angeles Times

Their analyses show that the rapid transition of ancestrally bottom-dwelling, or benthic, anglerfishes into open-ocean, or pelagic, habitats occurred during a period of major global warming 50 to 35 million years ago.

From Science Daily

Millions of dollars are being spent on research and trial fisheries targeting abundant pelagic fish, such as lanternfish and bristlemouths, in Europe, particularly Norway.

From National Geographic

"You see pelagic fishes like oceanic white tip sharks only 700 feet off the beach, when usually you have to go 20 miles out to find that species," Naylor said.

From Science Daily

These declines are largely driven by decreases in the amounts of pelagic fish available for catch.

From Science Daily