benthic

adjective

ben·​thic ˈben(t)-thik How to pronounce benthic (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or occurring at the bottom of a body of water
2
: of, relating to, or occurring in the depths of the ocean

Examples of benthic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web According to the team, assessing a marine environment from a predator’s perspective instead of a human’s can improve our understanding of the benthic environment and develop a more complete map of the seabed. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 7 Aug. 2024 The videos helped the team identify some previously unmapped sea lion habitats in the benthic zone–or the lowest ecological zone in a body of water. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 7 Aug. 2024 The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) research vessel is in the Gulf of Mexico to aid a test launch of benthic landers—deep-sea autonomous research platforms. Robin Catalano, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 June 2024 But Craig Smith, a benthic ecologist at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa, said the revelation of the carcasses alone roughly doubles the number of whale falls known to exist in the worlds’ ocean. Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for benthic 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'benthic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

benthos

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of benthic was in 1902

Dictionary Entries Near benthic

Cite this Entry

“Benthic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/benthic. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024.

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