Benthic/Attached Biota (Biotic Setting)

Component: Biotic

Unique Identifier: 389

Biotic Setting	Benthic/Attached Biota
Biotic Class	Reef Biota Faunal Bed Microbial Communities Moss and Lichen Communities Aquatic Vegetation Bed Emergent Wetland Scrub-Shrub Wetland Forested Wetland

Description

Definition

This biotic setting describes areas where biota lives on, in, or in close association with the seafloor or other substrates (e.g., pilings, buoys), extending down into the sediment to include the sub-surface layers of substrate that contain multi-cellular life. As a rule, Benthic/Attached Biota units are characterized by the various life histories and taxonomic characteristics of the dominant life forms.