Benthos are the organisms which live on, in, or near the seabed, also known as the benthic zone. Benthic organisms, such as sea stars, oysters, clams, sea cucumbers, brittle stars and sea anemones, play an important role as a food source for fish and humans. The term benthos comes from the Greek for "depths of the sea". The main food sources for benthos are plankton and organic runoff from land. The depth of water, temperature and salinity, and type of local substrate all affect what benthos is… (More on Benthos)