bioturbation

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June 22, 2026

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Bioturbation is the process by which moving organisms, such as worms and burrowing clams, restructure sedimentary deposits on lake bottoms or seabeds. This biological activity plays a role in the marine ecosystem by linking the pelagic (open water) and benthic (ocean floor) environments. Organisms on the seafloor, known as benthos, often feed on detritus and particles that rain down from the pelagic zone. This "fallout" can include dead plankton, crustacean molts, and feces, contributing to the restructuring of the seabed through bioturbation. The term "bioturbated" describes sediments that have undergone this process.12

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Cambrian Period
Fauna
…fossils indicates changes in Cambrian bioturbation, the churning and stirring of seafloor sediment by animal forms. Late Precambrian (Ediacaran) trace fossils from around the world are essentially surface trails that show little evidence of sediment burrowing. Quantitative study in the western United States has shown that a significant increase in…
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…fossils indicates changes in Cambrian bioturbation, the churning and stirring of seafloor sediment by animal forms. Late Precambrian (Ediacaran) trace fossils from around the world are essentially surface trails that show little evidence of sediment burrowing. Quantitative study in the western United States has shown that a significant increase in…
Read More