Benthic zone
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article describes an oceanic zone, for information on the animals that live in this zone or on the ocean floor, see Deep sea and for information on animals that live in the deepest areas of the oceans see the Aphotic zone
The benthic zone is the lowest level of a body of water, such as an ocean or a lake. It is inhabited mostly by organisms that tolerate cool temperatures and low oxygen levels, called benthos or benthic organisms. The profundal, limnetic, and littoral zones can be found above the benthic zone. No light other than bioluminescence is found in the benthic zone; it is part of the aphotic zone. Below the benthic level of water is the superficial layer of the soil lining the given body of water. The nature of this soil layer has a great influence on the biological activity of the benthic zone. Examples of contact soil layers include sand bottoms, rock outcrops, coral, and bay mud.
[edit] References
- Fathom
- Data Archive for Seabed Species and Habitats from the UK Marine Data Archive Centre
