Which term describes organisms that live on or at the seabed?

Study for the IB Marine Science Standard Level Exam. Prepare with interactive quizzes and in-depth explanations. Use our resources to excel in your marine science knowledge!

Multiple Choice

Which term describes organisms that live on or at the seabed?

Explanation:
Understanding marine habitat terminology helps describe where organisms live. Benthic refers to organisms that live on or in contact with the seabed, forming the bottom-dwelling community and including those that crawl or attach to the surface (epibenthic) as well as those that burrow within sediment (infaunal). This is distinct from pelagic organisms that inhabit the water column away from the bottom. The other terms describe features or modes not about habitat: a wave-cut platform is a coastal rock face shaped by erosion, autotroph denotes an organism that makes its own food, and tombolo is a landform connecting an island to the mainland. So, the term for seabed-dwelling organisms is benthic.

Understanding marine habitat terminology helps describe where organisms live. Benthic refers to organisms that live on or in contact with the seabed, forming the bottom-dwelling community and including those that crawl or attach to the surface (epibenthic) as well as those that burrow within sediment (infaunal). This is distinct from pelagic organisms that inhabit the water column away from the bottom. The other terms describe features or modes not about habitat: a wave-cut platform is a coastal rock face shaped by erosion, autotroph denotes an organism that makes its own food, and tombolo is a landform connecting an island to the mainland. So, the term for seabed-dwelling organisms is benthic.

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