Question

The correct order of marine benthic habitats with increasing water depths is

• A. abyssal, bathyal, neritic
• B. neritic, abyssal, bathyal
• C. neritic, bathyal, abyssal
• D. bathyal, abyssal, neritic

Hint:

Remember the order of marine benthic zones: neritic (shallow), bathyal (mid-depth), and abyssal (deepest).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the marine benthic zones.
Marine benthic habitats are categorized by their depth in the ocean. The neritic zone is the shallowest, typically from the shoreline to the continental shelf. The bathyal zone is deeper and extends from the continental shelf to the abyssal plain, which is the deepest part of the ocean.

Step 2: Analyzing the options.
(A) abyssal, bathyal, neritic: This order is incorrect because the neritic zone is the shallowest, not the deepest.
(B) neritic, abyssal, bathyal: This order is incorrect because abyssal comes before bathyal in depth.
(C) neritic, bathyal, abyssal: This is the correct order, with neritic being the shallowest, followed by bathyal and abyssal as the deeper zones.
(D) bathyal, abyssal, neritic: This is incorrect, as the neritic zone is the shallowest.

Step 3: Conclusion.
The correct answer is (C) neritic, bathyal, abyssal because these zones follow the correct depth sequence.