Abstract
The benthic compartment forms a very important link within the estuarine ecosystem. It depends to a large extent on the import of food (plankton or detritus) from the pelagic system, and it serves as food for many predators, of which fish and birds are best known. However, both the primary production within the benthic compartment by macro- and microphytobenthos as well as the consumption by infauna predators may also be important energy pathways.
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Meire, P.M. (1994). The structure of the benthic system. In: Nienhuis, P.H., Smaal, A.C. (eds) The Oosterschelde Estuary (The Netherlands): a Case-Study of a Changing Ecosystem. Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 97. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1174-4_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1174-4_13
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