Ocean Margin Systems

Definition

Transitional zones between the oceans and continents, representing dynamic systems in which numerous processes shape the environment.

Introduction

Ocean margins are the transitional zones between the oceans and continents where most of the sediments derived from the land are deposited. The effective processes here are influenced by a variety of steering mechanisms, from mountain building and climate on the land to tectonics and sea-level fluctuations at the margins of the seas. These areas are also of great importance for the global biogeochemical cycles. Although these areas make up only about 20 % of the ocean’s surface, 50 % of the global marine production takes place here. Compared to the open ocean, the ocean margins represent more dynamic systems (see Wefer et al., 2002).

The region of the ocean margins extends from the coastal zone across the shelf and the continental slope to the continental rise (Fig. 1). About 60 % of all people live in the adjacent coastal land...