seston

From German Seston, by surface analysis, Ancient Greek σηστός (sēstós, “sifter”, verbal adjective of σήθω (sḗthō, “I strain, filter”)) +‎ -on. Compare plankton.

seston (countable and uncountable, plural sestons)

1. All particulate matter suspended in bodies of water such as lakes and seas, including plankton, organic detritus, and inorganic material.
   • 2000, L. Postel, H. Fock, W. Hagen, “Biomass and abundance”, in R[oger] P. Harris, P[eter] H. Wiebe, J[urgen] Lenz, H[ein-]R[une] Skjoldal, M[ark] Huntley, editors, ICES Zooplankton Methodology Manual, London; San Diego, Calif.: Academic Press, →ISBN, page 83:

     Depending on mesh size and the area of investigation, net samples contain a variable mixture called seston. […] Nowadays plankton stands for the living part of seston, detritus for dead organic and inorganic particles.

• bioseston
• abioseston, tripton

• bioseston
• sestonic

• onsets, sets on, stones, Stones, Setons, setons, stenos, Estons