Definition of "pelagic" [pe•lag•ic]

• Of, relating to, or living in open oceans or seas rather than waters adjacent to land or inland waters: pelagic birds. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Marine biodiversity has been particularly threatened by the uncontrolled illegal fishing by large ships owned by mainland or Asiatic fishing companies in pelagic zones, often inside the Marine Reserve, using high technology methods such as long-lining."
• "Fail to use an approved "pelagic" system for weighing herring, mackerel and horse mackerel."
• "Whale sharks are pelagic, meaning they roam the open sea, and can only be seen along the coast during seasonal feeding aggregations."