Oceans include the water column

MARBEF no date

(Marine Biodiversity Wiki [its a .org, so its legit], Open Oceans,

http://www.marbef.org/wiki/open_oceans)
The open oceans or pelagic ecosystems are the areas away from the coastal
boundaries and above the seabed. It encompasses the entire water
column of the seas and the oceans and lies beyond the edge of the continental
shelf. It extends from the tropics to the polar regions and from the sea surface to the abyssal depths. It is
a highly heterogeneous and dynamic habitat. Physical processes control the biological activities and lead
to substantial geographic variability in production.

The ocean includes the top of the waterthe photic zone

Dictionary of Biology 4
(Euphotic zone, A Dictionary of Biology | 2004 | Copyright,
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/euphotic_zone.aspx)

photic zone) The topmost layer of a lake or sea in

which there is sufficient light for net primary production , i.e. where the energy fixed
euphotic zone (epipelagic zone;

by photosynthesis exceeds that lost by respiration. The depth varies, depending on such factors as
turbidity, supply of nutrients in the water, tidal turbulence, and temperature. For example, high nutrient
levels will encourage a greater biomass of phytoplankton near the surface, which causes shading and

It typically ranges from 1 m to about 30 m in lakes

and coastal waters, and rarely reaches depths of more than 200 m in the open
ocean. At depths between 200 and 1000 m blue light may still penetrate sufficiently to allow limited
consequent reduction in depth of the euphotic zone.

photosynthesis. This is sometimes referred to as the dysphotic zone or mesopelagic zone. Below this is the
aphotic zone, where no light penetrates.

EEZ
After 24 miles offshore is where actual development in
the EEZ happensthis also means we dont overlimit
**note: contiguous zone is the 12 nautical mile sea mentioned, from 12-24
miles offshore

NOAA no date

(What is the EEZ, http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/eez.html)

The U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extends no more than 200 nautical miles
from the territorial sea baseline and is adjacent to the 12 nautical mile territorial
sea of the U.S., including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin
Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any other territory or possession over
Within the EEZ, the U.S. has: Sovereign rights
for the purpose of exploring, exploiting, conserving and managing natural
resources, whether living and nonliving, of the seabed and subsoil and the
superjacent waters and with regard to other activities for the economic
exploitation and exploration of the zone, such as the production of
energy from the water, currents and winds; Jurisdiction as provided for in

which the United States exercises sovereignty.

international and domestic laws with regard to the establishment and use of artificial islands, installations,
and structures, marine scientific research, and the protection and preservation of the marine environment;
and Other rights and duties provided for under international and domestic laws.