Neritic zone (from the Greek. Νηρἰτης - a type of seashell; see Nerits ) - the ecological zone of the pelagic zone of the World Ocean , adjacent to land and located above the continental shelf . May be interrupted by coastal areas with desalinated water near the mouths of large rivers. The lower boundary of the neritic zone is limited by depths of the order of 100–400 m, sometimes extends up to the isobath of 500 m and on average corresponds to the position of the isobath of about 130–140 m. The pelagic of the open ocean is contrasted, which begins immediately behind the edge of the shelf above the bathial - continental (continental) slope .
It is the most productive among all the natural areas of the oceans - about 80% of the total productivity of the ocean. Here are concentrated the main regions of world fisheries, which specializes in catching bottom and coastal pelagic (neritic) fish species, as well as fishing for bottom invertebrates and algae . Phytoplankton and zooplankton in the biocenoses of the neritic region are qualitatively and quantitatively richer than in the open ocean, due to the high mobility of coastal waters. A certain role in this is played by the removal of nutrients to coastal areas by river flows. The neritic zone is also characterized by the presence of a huge amount of meroplankton - pelagic larvae of benthic invertebrates - mollusks , crustaceans , echinoderms, and other organisms.