Abstract
The ecosystem of the benthos, which is situated on the continental shelf, slope and abyssal plains, consists of bottom sediments, zoobenthos, bottom fish fauna, bottom waters and porewater in sediments. The process of accumulation of suspended and dissolved radionuclides on the shelf, continental slope and further on the Ocean bottom is determined by a number of natural factors. The dependence of radioactive pollution of the sea bottom ecosystem on the flux of pollutants from the coastal and pelagic zones is quite evident. The northern seas with shelf depths to 300–600 m are a large reservoir to which radioactive material of different origin is delivered by numerous pathways.
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© 2004 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Matishov, D.G., Matishov, G.G. (2004). The benthic zone. In: Radioecology in Northern European Seas. Environmental Science. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-09658-1_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-09658-1_4
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-05773-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-662-09658-1
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