pelagic

[puh-laj-ik] /pəˈlædʒ ɪk/

adjective

of or pertaining to the open seas or oceans.

living or growing at or near the surface of the ocean, far from land, as certain organisms.

Compare neritic, oceanic.

Origin

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

Related forms

nonpelagic, adjective

Examples from the web for pelagic

And sharks that range across the open ocean, known as oceanic or pelagic sharks, have been an even bigger mystery.
But research had yet to probe the extent to which human-made noise might be affecting other pelagic species.
Model for the adaptive radiations and extinctions of pelagic marine mammals.
pelagic species such as marlin, sailfish and sharks are drawn to the area to feed and mate.
The outer line of the reef offers the same, plus the opportunity to see big pelagic fish, such as mackerel and open-ocean sharks.
pelagic treasures can be seen without even getting your hair wet.
Then point out to students that the top three zones together are called the pelagic zone, or open ocean.
Most of this food comes from the remains of plants and animals drifting down from upper pelagic zones.

British Dictionary definitions for pelagic

pelagic

/pɛˈlædʒɪk/

adjective

of or relating to the open sea: pelagic whaling

(of marine life) living or occurring in the upper waters of open sea

(of geological formations) derived from material that has fallen to the bottom from the upper waters of the sea

Word Origin

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

Word Origin and History for pelagic

adj.

"pertaining to the sea," 1650s, from Latin pelagicus, from Greek pelagikos, from pelagos "sea, high sea, open sea, main," from PIE *pelag- "to spread out" (cf. Greek plagos "side," Latin plaga "hunting net, curtain, region"), possibly from root *plak- (1) "to spread out, be flat" (see placenta).

pelagic in Science

pelagic

(pə-lāj'ĭk)
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.