Infralittoral and circalittoral hard bottom communities in the northern part of the Velebit Channel were investigated. The benthos was collected along six transects: three on Prvić Island (Šilo, Samonjin and Stražica) and three facing them along the Velebit mountain coast (Grmac, Žrnovnica and Kola). Three benthic biocoenoses were noted: the biocoenosis of photophilic algae, precoralligenous facies and a climax of coralligenous biocoenosis, and the biocoenosis of semi-dark caves. A total of 431 taxa were recorded: 60 taxa of algae and 371 taxa of fauna. Along the three coastal transects under Mt Velebit numerous submarine freshwater springs (vruljas) are present. The results were compared using two statistical methods: the application of the Sørensen index of similarity and cluster analysis. The most topographically and geomorphologically similar transects were Šilo and Samonjin, while StraŽica and Žrnovnica were the most distant.Istraživane su bentoske zajednice čvrstog dna u infralitoralu i cirkalitoralu u području sjevernog dijela Velebitskog kanala. Obrađeno je šest profila od čega tri na otoku Prviću (Šilo, Samonjin i
Stražica), a tri nasuprot, na kopnu (Grmac, Žrnovnica i Kola). Utvrđene su tri biocenoze: biocenoza fotofilnih alga, pretkoraligenski aspekt i klimaks stadij koraligenske biocenoze te biocenoza polutamnih špilja. Na svih šest istraživanih profila ukupno je utvrđeno 60 biljnih i 371 životinjska svojta. Duž profila podno Velebita nalaze se brojne vrulje. Sørensenovom metodom i klaster-analizom obrađ|eni su rezultati istraživanja. Najveća sličnost u sastavu flore i faune obrađenih biocenoza utvrđena je među profilima Šilo i Samonjin, a najmanja među profilima Stražica i Žrnovnica
