<Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> The marine environment supplies many kinds of habitats that support marine life . Marine life depends in some way on the saltwater that is in the sea (the term marine comes from the Latin mare, meaning sea or ocean). A habitat is an ecological or environmental area inhabited by one or more living species . </P> <P> Marine habitats can be divided into coastal and open ocean habitats . Coastal habitats are found in the area that extends from as far as the tide comes in on the shoreline out to the edge of the continental shelf . Most marine life is found in coastal habitats, even though the shelf area occupies only seven percent of the total ocean area . Open ocean habitats are found in the deep ocean beyond the edge of the continental shelf . </P> <P> Alternatively, marine habitats can be divided into pelagic and demersal zones . Pelagic habitats are found near the surface or in the open water column, away from the bottom of the ocean . Demersal habitats are near or on the bottom of the ocean . An organism living in a pelagic habitat is said to be a pelagic organism, as in pelagic fish . Similarly, an organism living in a demersal habitat is said to be a demersal organism, as in demersal fish . Pelagic habitats are intrinsically shifting and ephemeral, depending on what ocean currents are doing . </P>

Where are the majority of marine organisms found