What is the Benthic zone?
The region that is known as Benthic zone is the ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water such as an ocean or a lake, it includes the sediment surface and some sub-surface layers. The animals living in this zone are called benthos. They generally live in close relationship with the substrate bottom. These organisms are permanently attached to the bottom.
Where does this ecosystem exist globally?
The benthic region begin at the shore line (intertidal or eulittoral zone) and extends downward along the surface of the continental shelf out to sea. The continental shelf is a gently sloping benthic region that extends away from:
- The nearshore and estuarine zones (less than 200 meters deep)
- The bathyal zone (200 to 2,000 meters)
- The abyssal zone (2,000 to 6,000 meters)
- The hadal zone (over 6,000 meters deep)
Resources:
http://marinebio.org/oceans/deep/
http://www.brighthub.com/environment/science-environmental/articles/60014.aspx
Threats..
The most obvious problem is oxygen and using compressed air has its share of hazards. Compressed air is denser than air at normal atmospheric pressure, and so a diver breathing it will inhale proportionately more molecules of its component gases predominantly nitrogen and oxygen.
Nitrogen forms into bubbles. If the bubbles are large enough, they can get lodged in the body's capillaries and block blood flow. Depending on where the bubbles get stuck, they can lead to skin mottling, tingling, headache, pain in the joints, paralysis, stroke, and sometimes death.
Nitrogen forms into bubbles. If the bubbles are large enough, they can get lodged in the body's capillaries and block blood flow. Depending on where the bubbles get stuck, they can lead to skin mottling, tingling, headache, pain in the joints, paralysis, stroke, and sometimes death.
Benthic protection project (Australia)
Providing a preliminary description of the benthic communities and compare them with soft-bottom benthic communities elsewhere, collecting samples and studying them.