BENTHOS

Type of Substrate
Hard (Rock)
Soft (Sand or Mud)
P
BENTHOS
Degree of Wave Shock
High Energy (Rock)
Low Energy (Sand or Mud)
P
BENTHOS

Intertidal
Duration of Exposure
Leads to zonation
Subtidal
Deep-Sea
15_02a
Zonation in a
rocky intertidal
P
15_02b
S
PERIWINKLES
15_02g
S
BARNACLES
15_02i
S
ANEMONE
15_04
S
15_05b
S
SEA URCHINS
15_06
S
ALGAE
Zonation partly dependent on exposure, but also
partly dependent on competition
P
East side of the Galveston jetties - notice light green
band of algae AND dark green of a different algae
S
P
15_08
S
SAND BEACH ZONATION
less obvious, but still there
15_09a-e
S
CLAM BURROWING
15_12a
S
Nematode Head
(x804)
15_12b
S
Amphipod (crustacean)
15_12c
S
Polychaet (segmented worm)
LIVING STRATEGIES
Attached
Free Living
Burrowing
P
15_14a
S
Kelp (attached)
15_18b
S Sponge (attached)
15_15a
S
Spiny Lobster (free living)
15_16
S
Oyster Drill (free living)
S
Polychaete (burrowing)
SIZE
Macrobenthos - large organisms (lobster)
High biomass, Low productivity
Meiobenthos - medium-sized (clam)
Low biomass, High productivity
Microbenthos - small-sized (round worms)
Low biomass, High productivity
P
15_15a
S
Macrobenthos
Meiobenthos
15_12a
S
Microbenthos
CORAL REEFS
serve as important habitats in the tropical
oceans
are populated by about 25% of all fish
species
are presently in a severe state of decline
world-wide from ocean warming,
sedimentation and exploitation

P
15_17
P
Speciation radiates from Indo-Pacific
15_19
S
Zonation of Coral Reefs
P
Coral Polyps
S
Coral Reef Fishes
S
S
Coral Atoll
ENERGY TRANSPORT TO
DEEP-SEA ORGANISMS
Small sinking particles
Overlapping ladders of migration
Transport from land
Large sinking particles
P
15_22
P
Schematic Food Pathways
15_Ctl
S
Baited Camera - 9600 meters
15_Ctr
S
15_Ccl
S
15_Ccr
S
15_Cbl
S
15_Cbr
S
S
15_01
P
DEEP-SEA BIOMASS ONLY ABOUT 1% OF
BIOMASS IN SHALLOW WATER - WHY?