Lakes and standing water

Lakes and ponds are bodies of open, standing water
Littoral zone = region ringing the edge of a water body
Benthic zone = extends along the entire bottom of the water body  
Home to many invertebrates
Limnetic zone = open portions of the lake or pond where the sunlight penetrates the shallow waters  
Profundal zone = water that sunlight does not reach  
Supports fewer animals because there is less oxygen

Oligotrophic lakes and ponds = have low nutrient and high oxygen conditions
Eutrophic lakes and ponds = have high nutrient and low  oxygen conditions
Eventually, water bodies fill completely in through the process of succession
Inland freshwater seas = large lakes that hold so much water, their biota is adapted to open water