Detritus plays an important role in the global carbon cycle. Detritus provides important food to the animals and microbes living in the reefs area and also area that we call "the twilight zone" (middle layers). Detritus is the fate of a large minority productions in the ocean.
The primary beneficiaries of detritus are bottom-dwelling invertebrates, including tunicates, bottom-dwellers shrimp, a variety of clams, sand dollars, and worms. The species that consume detritus are sea stars, predatory gastropods, and bottom-dwelling fish. In addition, beyond animal and plant debris, detritus may also consist of inorganic dust, soot, sand, and even faecal matter.