Littoral Zone - In coastal environments and biomes, the littoral
zone extends from the high water mark, which is rarely inundated,
to shoreline areas that are permanently submerged. It always
includes the intertidal zone and is often used to mean the same as
the intertidal zone. However, the meaning of "littoral zone" can
extend well beyond the intertidal zone.
Limnetic Zone - The limnetic zone is the well-lit, open surface
waters in a lake, away from the shore. The vegetation of the
littoral zone surrounds this expanse of open water and it is above
the profundal zone.
Profundal Zone - The profundal zone is a deep zone of a body of
water, such as an ocean or a lake, located below the range of
effective light penetration. This is typically below the
thermocline, the vertical zone in the water through which
temperature drops rapidly. The lack of light in the profundal zone
determines the type of biological community that can live in this
region, which is distinctly different from the community in the
overlying waters. The profundal zone is part of the aphotic
zone
