<descriptor thcode="62"><thesaurus thcode="62" name="Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard" scope="Categories of ecosystems for coastal, estuarine, and marine environments." creator="FGDC" rights="public domain" date="2017-05-10" codetype="alpha" prefix="cmecs" uri="https://www2.usgs.gov/science/CMECS" tblname="cmecs" root_code="root" contact="pschweitzer"><category><term thcode="25" code="16" name="hierarchical" parent="11" scope="Substantive broader-narrower relationships exist among the terms."/><term thcode="25" code="16" name="hierarchical" parent="11" scope="Substantive broader-narrower relationships exist among the terms."/></category><altlabel><altlabel>CMECS</altlabel><altlabel>CMECS</altlabel><altlabel>Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS)</altlabel><altlabel>Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS)</altlabel></altlabel></thesaurus><term thcode="62" code="BC-384" name="Planktonic Biota" parent="BC-C002" scope="Biotic Setting: Planktonic Biota includes biota that drift, float, or remain suspended in the water column in aggregations that are big enough to be (a) detected by the human eye (or with mild magnification) or (b) sampled with a fine-plankton net. ..."/><bt><term thcode="62" code="BC-C002" name="Biotic" parent="root"/><term thcode="62" code="root" name="CMECS" scope="Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard: Category terms encompassing waters from the head of tide or inland incursion of ocean salinity to the splash zone of the coasts to the deepest portions of the oceans and the deep waters of the Great Lakes."/></bt><nt><term thcode="62" code="BC-388" name="Floating/Suspended Microbes" parent="BC-384" scope="Biotic Class: Aggregations of microbes that are floating or suspended in the water column and not attached to the bottom or to any benthic substrate."/><term thcode="62" code="BC-386" name="Floating/Suspended Plants and Macroalgae" parent="BC-384" scope="Biotic Class: This class includes areas dominated by vascular plants, detached plant parts, or macroalgae that are floating on the surface or are suspended in the water column?that is, plants and macroalgae that are not rooted or attached to the bottom."/><term thcode="62" code="BC-387" name="Phytoplankton" parent="BC-384" scope="Biotic Class: This class includes areas of floating or suspended microscopic algae that are capable of photosynthesis. ..."/><term thcode="62" code="BC-385" name="Zooplankton" parent="BC-384" scope="Biotic Group: Water parcels or layers in which zooplankton are perceived to be the dominant feature. ..."/></nt></descriptor>