<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-389" name="Benthic/Attached Biota" parent="BC-C002" scope="Biotic Setting: This biotic setting describes areas where biota lives on, in, or in close association with the seafloor or other substrates (e.g., pilings, buoys), extending down into the sediment to include the sub-surface layers of substrate that contain multi-cellular life. ..."/><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-394" name="Aquatic Vegetation Bed" parent="BC-389" scope="Biotic Class: This class includes subtidal or intertidal bottoms and any other areas characterized by a dominant cover of rooted vascular plants, attached macroalgae, or mosses, which are usually submersed in the water column or floating on the surface. ..."/><term thcode="62" code="BC-395" name="Emergent Wetland" parent="BC-389" scope="Biotic Class: Areas in this class are characterized by erect, rooted, herbaceous hydrophytes?excluding emergent mosses and lichens. ..."/><term thcode="62" code="BC-391" name="Faunal Bed" parent="BC-389" scope="Biotic Class: Seabeds dominated or characterized by a cover of animals that are closely associated with the bottom, including attached, clinging, sessile, infaunal, burrowing, laying, interstitial, and slow-moving animals, but not animals that have created substrate (Reef Biota). ..."/><term thcode="62" code="BC-397" name="Forested Wetland" parent="BC-389" scope="Biotic Class: Areas in this class are characterized by woody vegetation that is generally 6 meters or taller. ..."/><term thcode="62" code="BC-392" name="Microbial Communities" parent="BC-389" scope="Biotic Class: Areas dominated by colonies of microscopic or single-celled organisms that form a hard structure, visible film, layer, or mat on or near the surface of the substrate. ..."/><term thcode="62" code="BC-393" name="Moss and Lichen Communities" parent="BC-389" scope="Biotic Class: Tidal areas dominated by submerged or emergent mosses or lichens. ..."/><term thcode="62" code="BC-390" name="Reef Biota" parent="BC-389" scope="Biotic Class: Areas dominated by reef-building fauna, including living corals, mollusks, polychaetes or glass sponges. ..."/><term thcode="62" code="BC-396" name="Scrub-Shrub Wetland" parent="BC-389" scope="Biotic Class: Emergent wetland areas dominated by woody vegetation that is generally less than 6 meters tall. ..."/></nt></descriptor>