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Glite Dictionary
marine benthos

marine benthos

7.9
Plants and animals that live on or near the bottom of the sea
  • noun
  • /mɚˈin ˈbɛnθoʊs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : bentos marino
  • Scientists study marine benthos to understand how these organisms interact with their environment.

Examples

  • The marine benthos includes a variety of organisms, such as sea urchins and crustaceans, that thrive on the ocean floor.

  • For the first time, researchers could gain access to the marine benthos in much the same way that they had studied terrestrial habitats.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Diving near the reef revealed a vibrant marine benthos, teeming with colorful corals and fish.

Synonyms

benthos
vsmarine benthos
  • Specialized
1 9.9

Plants, animals, and other living things that live on the bottom of a sea, lake, or river

is restricted to organisms living at or near the bottom of the sea

Surface Forms

marine benthos singular
marine benthoses plural

Morphology

marine + benthos

The meaning is directly compositional: 'marine' (sea-related) + 'benthos' (organisms living on the seafloor) together denote organisms living at or near the bottom of the sea. This is a literal, non-idiomatic formation found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Marine benthos uses benthos, an old word for the 'sea bottom' or 'depths', and marine means 'sea'. So marine benthos literally names the plants and animals that live on or near the sea floor, which is why it means organisms at the bottom of the sea.