<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-385" name="Zooplankton" parent="BC-384" scope="Biotic Group: Water parcels or layers in which zooplankton are perceived to be the dominant feature. ..."/><bt><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. ..."/><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-400" name="Coral Meroplankton" parent="BC-385" scope="Biotic Subclass: Water parcels in which coral larval life-history stages are the perceived dominant feature. This generally occurs during and after synchronous spawning events in reef areas with high coral biomass."/><term thcode="62" code="BC-398" name="Crustacean Holoplankton" parent="BC-385" scope="Biotic Subclass: Water parcels in which crustacean holoplankton are the perceived dominant feature. Crustaceans constitute the vast bulk of zooplankton in many areas of the ocean."/><term thcode="62" code="BC-399" name="Crustacean Meroplankton" parent="BC-385" scope="Biotic Subclass: Water parcels in which crustacean meroplankton are the perceived dominant feature. These zooplankters typically go through several very different larval stages, and can be difficult to identify."/><term thcode="62" code="BC-401" name="Echinoderm Meroplankton" parent="BC-385" scope="Biotic Subclass: Water parcels in which echinoderm larvae are the perceived dominant feature. ..."/><term thcode="62" code="BC-402" name="Fish Meroplankton" parent="BC-385" scope="Biotic Subclass: Water parcels in which fish meroplankton are the perceived dominant feature. ..."/><term thcode="62" code="BC-403" name="Gelatinous Zooplankton" parent="BC-385" scope="Biotic Subclass: Water parcels in which gelatinous zooplankton (generally transparent, often quite large organisms, in which water constitutes a very high percentage of the body mass) are the perceived dominant feature. ..."/><term thcode="62" code="BC-461" name="Mixed Zooplankton" parent="BC-385" scope="Biotic Subclass: Water parcels in which complex mixes of zooplankton are the perceived dominant feature."/><term thcode="62" code="BC-404" name="Molluscan Holoplankton" parent="BC-385" scope="Biotic Subclass: Water parcels in which mollusk holoplankton are the perceived dominant feature. Certain molluscan taxa with reduced shells exist entirely in the plankton."/><term thcode="62" code="BC-405" name="Molluscan Meroplankton" parent="BC-385" scope="Biotic Subclass: Water parcels in which molluscan larvae are the perceived dominant feature."/><term thcode="62" code="BC-406" name="Protozoan Holoplankton" parent="BC-385" scope="Biotic Subclass: Water parcels in which single-celled protozoans are the perceived dominant feature. CMECS considers only the larger, visible protozoans that form tests or shells."/><term thcode="62" code="BC-407" name="Worm Holoplankton" parent="BC-385" scope="Biotic Subclass: Water parcels in which various holoplanktonic worm phyla are the perceived dominant feature."/><term thcode="62" code="BC-408" name="Worm Meroplankton" parent="BC-385" scope="Biotic Subclass: Water parcels in which various meroplanktonic worm phyla are the perceived dominant feature. Many worm taxa spawn planktonic larvae, and identification can be difficult."/></nt></descriptor>