12.14: Benthos

The challenges and opportunities for marine animals in the benthic environment are different from those in the pelagic environment. The physical nature of the seafloor can change dramatically over relatively short distances, especially in coastal areas. The seafloor can be covered with soft mud into which organisms can easily burrow to live, hide, or feed, or it can be solid rock that provides a stable surface for organisms to attach to or bore into. Benthic communities have evolved to take advantage of each different type of seafloor between these two extremes. Consequently, benthic communities are more varied than pelagic communities, particularly in the coastal zone, where seafloor character varies the most. Most deep-ocean benthos must obtain food from particulate organic matter that rains down from above or by preying on other organisms.

Chapter 14 discusses the constraints and strategies of life on the seafloor and the approaches that various species use to meet the challenges. Chapter 15 describes benthos in some specific regions of the seafloor, including those of the deep-ocean seafloor, the unique hydrothermal vent communities of the deep sea, and the remarkably different coastal benthos communities of the coral reef, kelp forest, and rocky intertidal zone.

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