What describes the neritic zone?
The neritic zone is the shallow marine water extending from the low-tide margin to the edge of the continental shelf. Its exact offshore width varies because continental shelves may be narrow or hundreds of kilometres broad, but depth commonly remains below about 200 metres. Sunlight can reach much or all of this water column, while rivers, coastal runoff, sediment resuspension, and upwelling often supply nutrients. These conditions support phytoplankton, seaweeds, seagrasses, benthic invertebrates, fishes, and many commercial fisheries. The neritic zone is not simply the shoreline: the intert
Ref: Ecology: Concepts and Applications, Molles, 9th Ed., Ch. 2-3