Benthic samples | Lifewatch regional portal

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Benthic samples

Benthos is the community of organisms that live on, in, or near the seabed. Benthic animals play an important role in the marine food web, serving as food for various animals living in the marine environment. Benthos is greatly influenced by quality of water and sediment, and as such the benthos is serving as important bio-indicator.

The LifeWatch observatory is generating a sample library for macrobenthos (animals living in or on the seabed, measuring over 1 mm long). Typical representatives of macrobenthos include Polychaetes, Bivalves, Echinoderms, and Crustaceans.

For requesting samples and for information about conditions of use, please contact info@lifewatch.be.

An overview of the available samples is provided in this table.

The macrobenthos sampling, preservation and processing protocol can be consulted here.