benthicpelagic

Benthicpelagic is a term used to describe the ecological and physical continuum between the benthos, or seafloor, and the pelagic zone, or the water column. It refers to processes, habitats, and organisms that operate across or at the interface of these two realms, highlighting the coupling that links surface productivity to seabed communities and vice versa.

The concept encompasses the sediment–water boundary layer where exchanges of energy, nutrients, and organic matter occur. Sinking particles from the planktonic realm deliver carbon to the sediments, while resuspension, pore-water diffusion, and bioturbation by benthic organisms return nutrients and energy to the overlying water. These exchanges influence both pelagic productivity and benthic community structure, creating feedbacks that sustain coastal and open-ocean ecosystems.

Organisms and life-history strategies associated with benthicpelagic dynamics often move between or exploit both habitats. This includes species that forage in the water column but reside on or in the seabed, those with life stages that transition between planktonic and demersal habitats, and benthic invertebrates whose activities affect the water column through nutrient remineralization and habitat modification.

Ecological significance lies in carbon cycling, nutrient remineralization, and energy transfer across the seabed–water-column boundary. Benthicpelagic coupling influences primary production, community resilience, and fisheries productivity, particularly on continental shelves and slopes where sedimentary processes and water-column dynamics interact strongly.

Research on benthicpelagic systems uses methods such as sediment traps, chamberflux measurements, isotopic tracers, and benthic boundary-layer sampling to quantify cross-boundary fluxes and understand the strength and consequences of bentho-pelagic interactions.