Sea background
The ocean bottom

The diversity of marine life is most clearly seen on the ocean bottom. Organisms with incredibly varied lifestyles and appearances can be found there. Some are buried into the sediment their entire life while others are sessile on rocks and kelp. Some move slowly on the bottom while others are quick.
   
Feeding types are also diverse. They are plankton eaters, sediment eaters, scavengers, algae eaters, parasites or predators. While the total biomass is lower than in the pelagic zone the diversity is much higher on the bottom. This is because the wide diversity of habitats it offers.
 
It depends on the bottom type what type of animals live there. Rocky bottoms are often teaming with life. In shallow waters it is covered by kelp forests but by sessile animals such as sponges, sea anemone, tunicates in deeper waters. Corals are also be found on rocky bottoms, but only in the deep sea around Iceland. These sessile animals are often confused with vegetation because on land we are not used to sessile animals. On rocky bottoms we can also find some large and mobile invertebrates, such as starfishes, sea urchins and crabs.
   
Most of the sea bed beyond shallow waters is covered by thick sediments of sand or mud.
 
HV

botndyr Various common benthic animals from Eyjafjörður; 1. Buccinum undatum, 2. Mytilus edulis, 3. Neptunea despecta, 4. Littorina saxatilis, 5. Yoldia hyperborea, 6. Mya arenaria, 7. Acmea testudinalis, 8. Chlamys islandicus, 9. Tonicella marmorea, 10. Asterias rubens, 11. Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis, 12. Ophiura robusta, 13. Hediste diversicolor, 14. Pectinaria hyperborea, 15. Harmothoe sp., 16. Caprella septentrionalis, 17. Idotea granulosa, 18. Balanus balanoides, 19. Gammarus sp. Various common benthic animals from Eyjafjörður; 1. Buccinum undatum, 2. Mytilus edulis, 3. Neptunea despecta, 4. Littorina saxatilis, 5. Yoldia hyperborea, 6. Mya arenaria, 7. Acmea testudinalis, 8. Chlamys islandicus, 9. Tonicella marmorea, 10. Asterias rubens, 11. Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis, 12. Ophiura robusta, 13. Hediste diversicolor, 14. Pectinaria hyperborea, 15. Harmothoe sp., 16. Caprella septentrionalis, 17. Idotea granulosa, 18. Balanus balanoides, 19. Gammarus sp.

 

 

 


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