![]() Extremophiles, including piezophiles, which thrive in high pressures, may also live there. Those who live burrowed into the ocean floor are known as infauna. Those living on the surface of the ocean floor are known as epifauna. Some microorganisms use chemosynthesis to produce biomass.īenthic organisms can be divided into two categories based on whether they make their home on the ocean floor or an inch or two into the ocean floor. This dead and decaying matter sustains the benthic food chain most organisms in the benthic zone are scavengers or detritivores. The pressure difference can be very significant (approximately one atmosphere for each 10 meters of water depth).īecause light does not penetrate very deep into ocean-water, the energy source for the benthic ecosystem is often organic matter from higher up in the water column that drifts down to the depths. Many organisms adapted to deep-water pressure cannot survive in the upper parts of the water column. In their habitats they can be considered as dominant creatures, but they are often a source of prey for Carcharhinidae such as the lemon shark. Many are adapted to live on the substrate (bottom). ![]() Organismsīenthos are the organisms that live in the benthic zone, and are different from those elsewhere in the water column. Generally, these include life forms that tolerate cool temperatures and low oxygen levels, but this depends on the depth of the water. Depending on the water-body, the benthic zone may include areas that are only a few inches below water, such as a stream or shallow pond at the other end of the spectrum, benthos of the deep ocean includes the bottom levels of the oceanic abyssal zone.įor information on animals that live in the deeper areas of the oceans see aphotic zone. The ocean floor is not all flat but has submarine ridges and deep ocean trenches known as the hadal zone.įor comparison, the pelagic zone is the descriptive term for the ecological region above the benthos, including the water-column up to the surface. The deep-sea floor is called the abyssal plain and is usually about 4,000 meters deep. The continental slope drops down to the deep sea floor. At the continental shelf edge, usually about 200 meters deep, the gradient greatly increases and is known as the continental slope. The continental shelf is a gently sloping benthic region that extends away from the land mass. The benthic region of the ocean begins at the shore line ( intertidal or eulittoral zone) and extends downward along the surface of the continental shelf out to sea.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |