In marine geology and biology, benthos are the organisms and habitats of the sea floor; in freshwater biology they are the organisms and habitats of the bottoms of lakes, rivers, and creeks.
From the size of organisms there are distinguished
Benthic habitats vary widely depending upon their location and depth, and they are often characterized by dominant structural features and biological communities.
Benthic organisms are also important members of the lower food web, consuming organic matter and phytoplankton and serving as food sources for higher level consumers.
Benthic habitats play a critical role in the breakdown of organic matter, through the actions of scavengers, deposit-feeders, and bacteria.
For example, LaSalle et al (1991) found that benthic communities, along with fish and shellfish, of a natural marsh that developed on dredged material were similar in species composition and abundance to those of natural marshes.
At M-12, benthic taxa diversity was not significantly different between the creek bank and the edge of the vegetation for July, August, or September.
Development of a diversebenthic community may not have occurred because of the low salinity that is representative of an oligohaline area.
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