Benthic zone
Benthic Zone
The Benthic Zone (/bɛnˈθɪk/; from Greek βένθος, depths of the sea) 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. Organisms living in this zone are called benthos or benthic organisms.
Etymology
The term "Benthic" comes from the Greek word βένθος, meaning "depths of the sea". The prefix "ben-" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root '*gʷm̥bʰ-', meaning "deep, bottom", and the suffix "-thic" is derived from the Greek '-τικός', meaning "pertaining to".
Related Terms
- Pelagic zone: The open water area of seas or lakes that is not close to the coast or the sea floor.
- Littoral zone: The part of a sea, lake, or river that is close to the shore.
- Neritic zone: The relatively shallow part of the ocean above the drop-off of the continental shelf.
- Demersal zone: The part of a sea or ocean (or deep lake) comprising the water column that is near to (and is significantly affected by) the seabed and the benthos.
See Also
References
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Benthic zone
- Wikipedia's article - Benthic zone
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