epipsammon

English

Etymology

epipsammic +‎ -on

Noun

epipsammon (uncountable)

1. The community of microscopic species (e.g., diatoms) that attach themselves to grains of sand.
   • 2017, Anton McLachlan, Omar Defeo, The Ecology of Sandy Shores, Academic Press, →ISBN, page 63:

     The benthic microflora of marine sands includes bacteria, blue-green bacteria (cyanobacteria), autotrophic flagellates, and diatoms. Those attached to sand grains are generally known as epipsammon (Fig. 4.1).

2. The community of biota or fauna that live on top of sand.
   • 1980, Ecological Characterization of the Sea Island Coastal Region of South Carolina and Georgia (FWS/OBS; 79/42), volume 3, Fish and Wildlife Service, →OCLC, page 83:

     These groups are 1) the epipsammon, or surface-dwelling, generally motile macrofauna; 2) the endopsammon, or burrowing species that are too large to live in interstitial spaces; and 3) the mesopsammon, or interstitial fauna. The epipsammon is limited to a few groups such as fish or birds which are strong or speedy enough to exploit this turbulent environment.