# Travel >> Destinations >> South Pacific

What Plants Can Be Found in the Benthic Zone?

The benthic zone is the area near to the bottom of river, lake or sea. Most of the plants found there are algae and seagrasses, which are also called phytobenthos.

Phytobenthos will occur more often in the superior levels of the benthic zone, since they depend on the sun for photosynthesis.

Microphytobenthos
- These organisms are microscopic, unicellular or filamentous. Microphytobenthos normally live in sedimentary shores, according to Wehr and Sheath in the book "Freshwater Algae of North America: Ecology and Classification."
  
  Common microphytobenthos species living on the bottom of North-American rivers, lakes and sea coasts include:
  
  Navicula
  
  Gyrosigma
  
  Nitzchia
  
  Diploneis
  
  Plagiotropis
  
  Amphora
  
  Fallacia
  
  Cylindrotheca
  
  Euglena
  
  Staurophora
Macrophytobenthos
- According to the 4Seas Project, macrophytobenthos include green algae (Chlorophyceae), brown algae (Phaeophyceae), red algae (Rhodophyceae), and plants of the family Potamogetonaceae.
Green Algae
- These algae or seaweeds are rich in chlorophyll that gives their characteristic color. They can live in the benthic zone as individuals or colonies. These are common species:
  
  Zostera marina (eelgrass)
  
  Ulva lactuca (sea lettuce)
  
  Cladophora rupestris
  
  Codium fragile (spongeweed)
  
  Codium tomentosum
  
  Monostroma grevillei
  
  Spongomorpha aeruginosa
Brown Algae
- The dominance of the pigment xanthophyll determines the brown color of these algae. According to Michael Guiry’s Seaweed Site, there are about 1800 species of brown algae, most living in marine environments. Some examples:
  
  Fucus vesiculosus (bladderwrack)
  
  Ascophyllum nodosum (Norwegian kelp)
  
  Sargassum sp
  
  Macrocystis pyrifera (giant kelp)
Red Algae
- There are 6000 described species of red algae, as stated in Michael Guiry’s Seaweed Site. The red color results from the pigments phycoerythrin and phycocyanin. Examples include:
  
  Atractophora hypnoides
  
  Gelidiella calcicola
  
  Lemanea fluviatilis
  
  Lemanea fucina
  
  Palmaria palmata (dulse)
  
  Schmitzia hiscockiana
  
  Chondrus crispus (Irish moss)
  
  Mastocarpus stellatus (false Irish moss)
  
  Ceramium
Potamogetonaceae
- Potamogeton, the only family of macrophytobenthos able to produce flowers and fruit, is the largest genus. Some species:
  
  Zannichellia palustris (horned pondweed)
  
  Potamogeton alpinus
  
  Potamogeton pectinatus (fennel pondweed)
  
  Lepilaena marina
  
  Lepilaena preissii
  
  Althenia
  
  Groenlandia
  
  Stuckenia