Final answer:
The ocean surface includes both abiotic (nonliving) and biotic (living) components. Abiotic factors affect the conditions within marine biomes, while biotic factors include all living organisms such as plankton and fish that contribute to the ocean's biomass and form its complex food chains.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ocean surface is characterized by a combination of abiotic and biotic factors. The abiotic factors refer to the nonliving components that influence the marine biomes, such as sunlight, temperature, and water currents. On the other hand, the biotic factors pertain to the living organisms found within the ocean, including phytoplankton, zooplankton, fish, whales, and other marine life that constitute the aboveground biomass. In the pelagic zone, or open ocean, there is a scarcity of nutrients and less productivity compared to coastal regions, but it is still home to a variety of organisms that rely on each other to form a food chain, starting with abundant plankton as the base.
As we move further from the ocean surface into the aphotic zone, sunlight does not penetrate, and photosynthesis is not possible. Deeper still, the abyssal zone encompasses the deepest parts of the ocean, with no light, high pressure, and low nutrient content; yet, a diversity of marine life persists, primarily supported by chemosynthetic bacteria found around hydrothermal vents. The benthic realm covers the ocean bottom, where the remains of photosynthetic organisms and those that feed on them fall, constituting a primary source of nutrients for deep-sea creatures like sea cucumbers.