OCS 1005 Chapter : OCS 1005 Homework Chapter 13
15 Mar 2019
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Chapter 13 homework questions 1, 3, 4, 6, 9, and 11. Chemosynthesis is a process in which bacteria like organisms trap chemical energy by the oxidation of hydrogen sulfide near deep-sea hydrothermal vents. In photosynthesis, the organisms use sunlight as the energy to break down water molecules into sugars into food and give off a byproduct of oxygen. Biological productivity is relatively low in the tropical open ocean because solar energy reaches deeper into the water column, but concentration of nutrients is low. The amount of nutrients available is the most important factor affecting the distribution of life in the ocean. Ocean water selectivity absorbs the colors of the visible light spectrum giving the different parts of the ocean different color. Red and yellow light are absorbed at relatively shallow depths, whereas blue and green light are the last to be removed. Ocean water of low biologic productivity scatters the short wavelengths of visible light, producing blue color.
