What is ecological zonation?
Ecological zonation is the categorization of communities according to where and how organisms live. 42. What are benthic organisms? What are sessile benthic organisms? Benthic organisms are those that live on or buried in the bottom of the ocean. Sessile benthic organisms are those that live attached to one place and don’t move around. 43. What are pelagic organisms? Pelagic organisms are those that live in the water column, either actively swimming (nektonic) or passively floating with the currents (planktonic). 44. What are phytoplankton and zooplankton? How are they different from the nekton? Phytoplankton are the autotrophic portion of the plankton, and zooplankton are the heterotrophic portion of the plankton. Planktonic organisms swim weakly or not at all and are moved primarily by ocean currents. The nekton, in contrast, are the swimming organisms of the ocean—those that can swim against currents. 45. Fill in the diagram below using the terms: benthos, plankton, phytoplankton, z
