It is hard to imagine that the tremendous volume of water beneath the surface of the oceans can be "organized" in any manner. But the watery would follow rules that can be quite precise. Oceanographers divide the deep ocean in different layers: 0 - 200 Metres Epipelagic Zone With abundant sunlight, photosynthesis takes place, planktons thrive here, serving as food for animals 200 - 1,000 Metres Mesopelagic Zone Sunlight is faint but still visible, making the mesopelagic zone a dangerous place to live, as the silhouettes of animals are easily detected. Nonetheless, its proximity to the surface explains why this layer is abundantly colonized. 1,000 - 4,000 Metres Bathypelagic zone The zone beyond the reach of sunlight. Temperatures rarely exceed 4?X C. The pressure of water is huge: at 4,000 metres, it is equivalent to the weight of a full-grown cow resting on your thumbnail. > 4,000 Metres Abyssopelagic Zone The water at the pitch-black bottom layer of the oceans is almost freezing and its pressure is immense. It is the meager food resources that limit the abundance of life at these depths.