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Article: Ocean Ecosystems: Soft Bottoms
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Ocean Ecosystems: Soft Bottoms
Where water movements are not strong enough to wash them away, sediments coat much of the benthic environment. Soft bottoms are common along coasts, along continental margins, and in the deep sea. Plants and animals that attach to sandy or rocky surfaces are called benthic epifauna; those that bury themselves in soft sediments or bore into the rocky bottom or shells of other animals are called benthic infauna. Few benthic organisms can live in shifting sediments, as on a beach exposed to wave action, and many more are found in sediments in protected bays or estuaries.
The plants of soft bottoms are marine angiosperms, seed-bearing vascular plants with true ...