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Filamentous cyanobacteria growing on an underwater surface. Phytobenthos (/. f aɪ t oʊ ˈ b ɛ n θ ɒ s /) (from Greek φυτόν (phyton, meaning "plants") and βένθος (benthos, meaning "depths") are autotrophic organisms found attached to bottom surfaces of aquatic environments, such as rocks, sediments, or even other organisms.
For comparison, the pelagic zone is the descriptive term for the ecological region above the benthos, including the water column up to the surface. At the other end of the spectrum, benthos of the deep ocean includes the bottom levels of the oceanic abyssal zone. [7]
Benthos (from Ancient Greek βένθος (bénthos) 'the depths [of the sea]'), also known as benthon, is the community of organisms that live on, in, or near the bottom of a sea, river, lake, or stream, also known as the benthic zone. [1]
The BBL is generated by the friction of the water moving over the surface of the substrate, which decrease the water current significantly in this layer. [2] The thickness of this zone is determined by many factors, including the Coriolis force. The benthic organisms and processes in this boundary layer echo the water column above them. [2]
Benthic-pelagic coupling are processes that connect the benthic zone and the pelagic zone through the exchange of energy, mass, or nutrients. These processes play a prominent role in both freshwater and marine ecosystems and are influenced by a number of chemical, biological, and physical forces that are crucial to functions from nutrient cycling to energy transfer in food webs.
Neuston can live on top of the water surface or submersed just below the water surface. In addition, microorganisms can exist in the surface microlayer that forms between the top- and the under-side of the water surface. Neuston has been defined as "organisms living at the air/water interface of freshwater, estuarine, and marine habitats or ...
Physical movement of water and sediments alter the thickness and topography of the sediment-water interface. Sediment resuspension by waves, tides, or other disturbing forces (e.g. human feet at a beach) allows sediment pore water and other dissolved components to diffuse out of the sediments and mix with the water above. [ 5 ]
Samples are shaken in an excess of water, the sediment is briefly allowed to settle, and then the meiofauna are filtered off. The second methodology, the flotation technique, works best with finer sediments, where the mass of the sediment particles is close to that of the meiofauna. The best solution for this technique is the colloidal silica ...