pelagic

American  

[puh-laj-ik] / pəˈlædʒ ɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to the open seas or oceans.

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

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pelagic British  

/ pɛˈlædʒɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to the open sea

   pelagic whaling

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

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

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pelagic Scientific  

/ pə-lăj′ĭk /

1. 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.

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Other Word Forms

• nonpelagic adjective

Etymology

Origin of pelagic

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

Example Sentences

The scientists said deep divers, such as sperm whales, and pelagic dolphins showed a steadier increase in strandings since the 1990s.

From BBC • Aug. 20, 2025

Now the scientists — who were researching pelagic sharks at the country’s Canary Islands — are going to study the anglerfish’s body, hoping to learn more about its uncharacteristic behavior.

From Salon • Feb. 13, 2025

The state’s shores offer temperate-weather hiking with views of dramatic cliffs, crashing waves, pelagic birds such as the blue-footed booby and several species of sandpiper, and native wildflowers.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 16, 2024

Millions of dollars are being spent on research and trial fisheries targeting abundant pelagic fish, such as lanternfish and bristlemouths, in Europe, particularly Norway.

From National Geographic • Feb. 13, 2024

When disturbed the pelagic tadpoles usually dive and seek shelter amidst vegetation or in mud on the bottom.

From Neotropical Hylid Frogs, Genus Smilisca by Duellman, William E.