Distinguish between Biota of the Pelagic & Benthic zones of the oceans with examples in about 150 words.
Answers
Answer:
The pelagic zone can be contrasted with the benthic and demersal zones at the bottom of the sea. The benthic zone is the ecological region at the very bottom of the sea. It includes the sediment surface and some subsurface layers. Marine organisms living in this zone, such as clams and crabs, are called benthos.
Explanation:
As you see from the diagram,Benthic zone is part of Ocean layer which describes the layers closer to the bottom of the water body, and Pelagic zone is layer which includes the free water column that interacts with the surface layers of a water body.
Answer:What is the difference between Benthic and Pelagic?
• Benthic zone is the layer closer to the bottom of a water body, whereas pelagic zone refers to the uppermost layers of a water body.
• Organisms that live in the benthic region are coined as ’benthos’, and organisms found in the pelagic zones are referred as pelagic organisms.
• Referring to the open sea, benthic zone is characterized by low temperatures, low dissolved oxygen levels, low/no light, and high pressures. However, there is a gradient of these in the pelagic zone from top to bottom.
• If we compare the diversity in these zones, resource rich pelagic waters harbor higher diversity than the benthic zone that has lower resources.
• Photosynthesis does take place in the epipelagic zone, but benthic zone does not get enough light for this.
• Pelagic food webs are powered by photosynthesis whereas benthic communities are normally powered by detritus drifted from the upper layers.
Explanation: