Final answer:
Oceanic zones are matched with their habitat descriptions: the littoral and neritic zone, the hadal zone with deep-sea trenches, the epipelagic or photic zone with abundant marine life and photosynthesis, and the intertidal zone affected by tides.
Step-by-step explanation:
To match the oceanic zone with the correct habitat description, we must understand the characteristics of each zone. The intertidal zone is the region closest to land and is affected by tides, being alternately exposed to air and submerged in water. The littoral zone, often conflated with the intertidal zone, actually refers to the nearshore area where sunlight penetrates to the bottom, enabling photosynthesis. The epipelagic zone is the upper layer of the ocean from the surface to about 200 meters deep, also known as the photic zone where sunlight allows photosynthesis; this zone is teeming with life due to the abundance of light. The hadal zone refers to the deepest parts of the ocean, typically found in trenches below 6,000 meters, where the pressure is extremely high and light does not penetrate.
Using these descriptions, we can match the habitat descriptions to the oceanic zones:
- Littoral - This could correspond to the neritic zone, which extends from the intertidal zone to the edge of the continental shelf and is shallow enough for sunlight to support photosynthesis.
- Hadal - This matches the deep-sea trenches characterized by complete darkness and extreme pressure.
- Epipelagic - The topmost sunlit layer of the ocean where photosynthesis can occur and where the most marine life is found.
- Intertidal - The area that is exposed to the air at low tide and submerged at high tide, often with rugged shorelines and a variety of adapted organisms.
Concerning the regions where we expect to find photosynthetic organisms, the most likely areas are those where sunlight penetrates, such as the photic zone, intertidal zone, neritic zone, and partially the oceanic zone but mostly above the aphotic depths.