Phytobenthos

[4][14] To establish themselves on surfaces, phytobenthos usually stabilize themselves onto substrates through the use of various polysaccharides, glycoproteins, and even lipids that make up the extracellular polymeric substance, of which 40 - 90% of the carbons are derived from carbohydrates.

[15] Some species of phytobenthos such as Ostreobium and diatoms such as the Synedra acus Kütznig have been observed to live in a free-living state.

[21] In the marine environment, some additional representative populations include Rhodophyta, which has been reportedly found in intertidal regions.

[22] The prokaryotic communities of phytobenthos are composed primarily of filamentous cyanobacteria, some of which have been identified to be capable of producing hepatotoxins.

[24] Epizoic phytobenthos such as Ostreobium and Symbiodinium have also been found to grow on skeletons or within corals to which they have established symbiotic relationships by exchanging nutrients.

In the marine environment, phytobenthos can be found as far back from the shore as the subtidal zones where they are consistently submerged in water.

[1][28] However, phytobenthos such as Ostreobium have demonstrated capability to adapt to low-light conditions as grow in areas as deep as 200 meters.

[24] Other physical and chemical conditions that also determine phytobenthos distributions include flow, acidity, nutrient, temperature, and the community's composition.