Definition: The marine benthic biome (benthic meaning 'bottom') encompasses the seafloor and includes such areas as shores, littoral or intertidal areas, marine coral reefs, and the deep seabed.
Definition: sediment that accumulates in the flat or very gently sloping areas of the deep ocean basin floor. The three main types are siliceous oozes, calcareous oozes, and red clays.
Definition: Capable of creating a new organism by combining the genetic material of two gametes, which may come from two parent organisms or from a single organism, in the case of self-fertilizing hermaphrodites.
Definition: An organism that feeds on mud or sand and shows little discrimination in the size or type of particles eaten. The sediment is ingested and any digestible organic material is assimilated as it passes through the alimentary canal.
