The interacting system of the biological communities located at the bottom of bodies of freshwater and saltwater and their non-living environmental surroundings.\ (Source: TOE / DOE)
Conversely, just beyond the shelf break, the benthicecosystem was dominated by a low-diversity, opportunistic fauna indicating ongoing colonization of massive sand-bed deposits.
2
Marine encrusting communities play vital roles in benthicecosystems and have major economic implications with regards to biofouling.