Marine Biology

Benthic Plants(Phytobenthos)

Bottom living plants include varieties of algae and angiosperms or flowering plants, particularly sea grasses. The algae include the Cyanophyta (blue-green algae), Chlorophyta (green), Phaeophyta (brown) and Rhodophyta (red), in increasing order of diversity. All range from microscopic to large except the blue-green algae, which are all microscopic. They commonly have filamentous character and occur in clusters or mats. Green algae include several calcareous species that are important contributors to the sediment substrate, especially in the shallow waters of the low latitudes.The brown algae include the largest varieties of seaweeds i.e. the kelps, which are very abundant in shallow cold waters Most of them are of commercial value as they contain algin, a gelatinous material that is used as an emulsifier in ice-creams, paints, drugs, and cosmetics. The red algae are represented by more species of seaweeds than all other classes of algae. They may inhabit relatively in the deep waters of the subtidal regions of the sea. Some are calcareous and an important constituents of low-latitude reefs.

There are very few common types of marine grasses. Some of these occupy the intertidal marsh environment. For example, Juncus sp, is known to occupy the higher level and Spartina sp occupy the lower level of the intertidal marsh regions. The sea-grasses are known to occupy the sub-tidal regions, which are included by the species such as Thalassia spp. (turtle grass), and Halodule spp. live in shallow waters of the low-latitudes. In the higher latitudes, Zostera spp (eel-grass) are the dominant type of seagrasses.