MSC 111 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Photic Zone, Sargassum, Coccolithophore

• School: University of Miami
• Department: Marine Science
• Course: MSC 111
• Professor: Peterson Larry

Document Summary

Optimize surface area to volume ratio- acquire nutrients more readily. Larger sa:volume- slower sinking to keep phytoplankton in the photic zone longer. Caught by plankton nets to be studied. Microbial loop: bacteria and protists eat small plants. Small cell size (less than 1 micrometer) Cyanobacteria- more net energy than net plankton. Abundance of life related to primary productivity. Amount of organic matter produced by organisms at base of the food chain. Abundance of a single nutrient can be a limiting factor. Chemosynthesis (chemical reactions)- at the seafloor hydrothermal vents. High marine life= high nutrients, high energy. Nutrients below the surface thermocline upwell from sinking dead organic matter. Balance between availability light and nutrients to get the maximum productivity. As pycnocline weakens (mechanical means)- more nutrients can be mixed into photic zone (surface) Ex. hurricanes bring deep water nutrients to the surface- enhances primary productivity. Rate of primary production varies as a function of light availability.