Relating to the bottom of a body of water, especially the ocean floor and the organisms that live there. The benthic zone includes all bottom-dwelling communities from shallow coastal areas to the deepest ocean trenches.
From Greek 'benthos' meaning 'depth of the sea' or 'sea bottom,' derived from 'bathys' meaning deep. The term was introduced into marine biology in the late 19th century as scientists began systematic study of ocean floor communities.
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