Authors point out the importance of more detailed facial studies in geology, based above all on the method of actualism. At the same time they point to the absence of in geology applicable biofacial terminology. They suggest the introduction of index marking of shelf facies by letters and numbers; the indices have been proposed by one of the authors on the basis of his studies of recent marine facies in the last twenty years, according to the occurrences of benthic organisms in the Mediterranean, Carribean and Pacific regions. The proposed terminology takes into consideration mutual relationships of litho- and biofacies. In the presented paper there are numerous examples of the possibilities of application of fossil, especially marine facies to recent environments and their ecosystems.