Benthic zone

The benthic zone is the ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water such as an ocean, lake, or stream, including the sediment surface and some sub-surface layers. The name comes from ancient Greek, βένθος (bénthos), meaning "the depths."[1] Organisms living in this zone are called benthos and include microorganisms (e.g., bacteria and fungi)[2][3] as well as larger invertebrates, such as crustaceans and polychaetes.[4] Organisms here generally live in close relationship with the substrate and many are permanently attached to the bottom. The benthic boundary layer, which includes the bottom layer of water and the uppermost layer of sediment directly influenced by the overlying water, is an integral part of the benthic zone, as it greatly influences the biological activity that takes place there. Examples of contact soil layers include sand bottoms, rocky outcrops, coral, and bay mud.

Marine habitats
Photomicrograph of typical benthic animals, including (from top to bottom) amphipods, a polychaete worm, a snail, and a chironomous midge larva
Coastal habitats Littoral zone Intertidal zone Estuaries Mangrove forests Seagrass meadows Kelp forests Coral reefs Continental shelf Neritic zone Ocean surface Surface microlayer Epipelagic zone Open ocean Pelagic zone Oceanic zone Sea floor Seamounts Hydrothermal vents Cold seeps Demersal zone Benthic zone Marine sediment
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