EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Benthos are bottom-dwelling organisms, such as mussels, worms, and barnacles. Many benthic organisms live attached to hard surfaces. Decomposers, organisms that break down dead organisms, are also a type of aquatic organism.

Detailed explanation-2: -Familiar examples of benthic organisms include macroalgae, seagrasses, corals, barnacles, mussels, sea urchins, and sea stars.

Detailed explanation-3: -At the bottom/sediment dwelling animal communities are collectively termed as ‘BENTHOS’. This extremely valuable component of the marine environment consumes the sediment organic matter from the overlying water column and effectively converts into benthic biomass.

Detailed explanation-4: -Organisms confined to bottom are called as benthos. Pelagic organisms are differentiated into plankton (microscopic, drifting over surface), neuston (macroscopic, floating, or swimming on or near water surface), nektons (actively swimming inside water).

Detailed explanation-5: -A list of these stuck-on-the-bottom creatures includes sponges, corals, anemones, hydroids, bryozoans, barnacles, oysters, and more.