benthic

adjective

Definition of benthicnext
as in pelagic

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of benthic Since nurse sharks are a benthic species, their position in the water column may partially shield them from urban light, although not entirely. — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 11 Mar. 2026 According to the study authors, these changes can be tied to stagnation and decline in the ocean’s biodiversity, particularly among benthic animals, or animals associated with the bottom of the sea, such as corals, crustaceans, and brachiopods. — Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 24 June 2025 Depositing the fleet of six benthic landers into the gulf has been an expensive and thorny process. — Robin Catalano, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 June 2024 Many benthic animals overcome these limitations using legged locomotion and have different hydrodynamic profiles dictated by different body morphologies. — IEEE Spectrum, 15 Nov. 2019 See All Example Sentences for benthic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for benthic
  1. pelagic
  2. marine
  3. deep-sea
  4. deepwater
  5. oceanographic
Adjective
  • His winning series was captured in the waters of Anilao, Philippines, where pelagic and larval marine life migrate from the depths each night to feed under the cover of darkness.
    — Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Researchers also encountered glass squid and spotted a pelagic octopus feeding on a bright red jellyfish.
    — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 15 June 2026
Definition of pelagic
Adjective
  • Scientists have taken advantage of this DNA time machine for one of the world's most endangered marine animals, revealing a story that can't be told by population counts alone.
    — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The divers reported the discovery to the Sicilian Region’s Superintendency of the Sea, a public body that oversees the identification and management of marine archeological sites off the island's coastal waters.
    — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of marine
Adjective
  • After a Soviet ballistic missile submarine sank in the Pacific Ocean in 1968, the CIA secretly built the Hughes Glomar Explorer, disguised as a deep-sea mining vessel, to recover the wreck from nearly 5,000 meters (16,500 feet) below the surface.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The tests demonstrate the underlying sensing and healing mechanisms, not a finished skin ready to spend years clinging to a deep-sea robot.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of deep-sea
Adjective
  • Morocco has been building a $1 billion deepwater port in the territory’s city of Dakhla, which featured in the video Trump shared Sunday.
    — Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • Marine welders handle massive, oddly shaped, and heavy components such as deepwater jacket strengthening rings and module nodes.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 15 June 2026
Definition of deepwater
Adjective
  • Commissioned by the Ocean University of China in 1996, the Dong Fang Hong 2 is one of China’s most important comprehensive oceanographic research vessels, according to Baike.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Plans have yet to be finalized for the largest of the buildings, which formerly housed the plant’s gigantic boilers, but options include classrooms, an indoor play space or an oceanographic institute, according to the project’s designers.
    — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of oceanographic

Browse Nearby Words

bent
benthic
bent (on or upon)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Benthic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benthic. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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