The effects of storms and wind keep this surface water in motion. It is this top layer of water that contains all of the seaweeds as well as tiny drifting producers called phytoplankton, both of which can trap the suns energy and convert it into food materials. Because of the abundance of food this is also where most animals are found, either eating the producers, or perhaps eating each other. As we descend further the light becomes so dim that even red seaweeds cannot grow. This midwater zone extends from about 100 metres to about 1000 metres below the surface.
Water selectively filters out light from the water.
The longest wavelengths of light which includes the red part of the spectrum disappear first and are converted to heat energy which keep the surface waters at a higher temperature than the water below. By the time we reach 1000 metres there is only the faintest blue green light remaining. Surviving in the Twilight Zone Lantern fish - note the row of photophores along the bottom of the fish Larger animals that live in the deep sea often have structures, behaviours, or body chemistries, that have evolved to allow them to survive in their unusual environments. These features are called adaptations and describe something about a living creature that help it to survive in its environment. Not only is it very dim in this part of the ocean it is also very cold.