Productivity slideshow
- 2. What are the different environmental zones? S Pelagic Zone – water environment S Benthic Zone - seafloor S Neritic Zone – coastal or continental shelf S Oceanic Zone – deep water zone S Photic Zone – surface where enough light for plants to grow (50-100ft) S Aphotic Zone – without light
- 4. How is the coast line divided up into zones? S Supralittoral or Splash Zone (above high tide) S Littoral or Intertidal Zone (between high and low tide) S Sublittoral or Subtidal Zone (below low tide)
- 6. S Life in the zones is affected by temperature, dissolved gases, substrate and nutrient changes S Coastal areas and photic zones vary more by latitude than the deeper zones which remain fairly constant
- 7. How do animals stay buoyant? What features allow them to do that? S Shape, fat, size, and ability to change shape when diving S Water’s density helps animals stay afloat S Animals do not need to focus on structural features but features for swimming S Some secrete gases to stay afloat (i.e. algae and sea jellies) S Sea snail rides gas bubble float S Chambered nautilus uses nitrogen gas to fill chambers in shell S Cuttle fish also regulate gas to stay afloat
- 9. S Most fish have swim bladders and adjust gas as dive S Whales and seals store low density fat in bodies S Sharks store oil in liver and muscles
- 10. Fluid Balance S Must constantly expend energy to prevent dehydration S Body higher concentration of water molecules than sea S Fish drink sea water and deposit salt across gills S Sharks and rays have similar salinity as ocean S Some animals adapt from fresh to salt water and back again S What animal in the NW does this?
- 11. S Bioluminescence S an interaction between the compound lucifern and the enzyme luciferase creates light S Dinoflagellates are agitated by the movement of the water S Squid, shrimp and some fish also create this chemical reaction
- 13. Color S or lack there of (i.e. jelly fish blend in with back ground) S Tropical water fish have bright patterns to confuse predators S Animals that sting, are foul tasting or have poisonous flesh are bright S Fish that swim near the surface have dark backs and white bellies to avoid predators
- 14. Barriers and Boundaries S Can you think of some barriers in the ocean? S Salinity, temperature, light, density of water S As water deepens and becomes more homogenous not as many boundaries S Gulf Stream, continents, ridges, and sea mounts can act as barriers
- 15. Who are the primary producers? S Phytoplankton S Chlorophyll is trapped by photosynthesis to produce energy S Synthesis of inorganic material into organic matter S Sugars are then broken down with oxygen to produce respiration S Biomass or the organisms weight or grams of carbon (material produced) S Weight of organic carbon in grams under a square meter of sea surface (gC/m2)
- 17. S Primary productivity = rate at which biomass is produced S Standing crop = total living material in an area at one time S Equals growth, reproduction, grazing and death S Seaweeds represent only 5-10 percent of total photosynthetic material in oceans
- 18. How can light intensity vary at the surface of the oceans? S Latitude and seasons S Artic one peak S Temperate two peaks with grazing in between S Tropics do not see large peaks due to low nutrient levels S Only near equator where up welling does phytoplankton increase
- 19. How do nutrients affect primary production at different latitudes? S Depends on the availability of light S Arctic regions depend more on length of light S Middle latitude nutrients reduced by winter storms S When surface water density decreases with warmer waters of spring then nutrients increase
- 21. S Grazing organisms release nutrients for a second peak in primary production S Production limited in tropics and subtropics due to lack of surface mixing S Nitrogen is essential for the formation of proteins and phosphorous which is required in energy actions, cell membranes and nucleic acids S Nitrogen in the form of nitrates and phosphorous in the form of phosphates are removed by phytoplankton
- 22. S Human activities from fertilizers and combustion of fossil fuels have increased nutrients in coastal areas S As nutrients broken down the oxygen is depleted S Over supply of nitrates in Mississippi River delta area has created a dead zone S Many other coastal areas are seeing similar problems around the world
- 24. How can primary production be measured? S Counting phytoplankton cells S Chlorophyll levels and pigment present S Exposing chlorophyll to certain wave length of light causes pigment to fluoresce = intensity measures the biomass S Amount of oxygen in sea water can measure gross and net primary production and respiration S Radioisotope carbon-14 measures amount in cells after a period of time S Satellite images can measure sea surface chlorophyll levels
- 25. How is this measured or reflected? S Highest commercial fish productivity is associated with areas of upwelling and along coasts where phytoplankton populations are in high numbers S Phytoplankton provides first step in food chain S See areas of convergence, divergence, upwelling and downwelling with the distribution of primary production S (i.e. equatorial Pacific = upwelling and divergence; Antartica = divergence; North Atlantic and Pacific gyres = convergence)
- 27. Global Upwelling
- 28. S Upwelling areas 2x productive as coastal areas and 6x more productive than open ocean S Upwelling represents a small portion of ocean S Total primary production shows organic carbon or production spread thin over a large area
- 29. S Open ocean same as deserts for productivity S Estuaries are the most productive! Why? S Light reaches bottom and high detritus levels/nutrients to support high biomass per acre
- 30. What is the difference between a food chain, web and trophic level? S Food Chain follows one line of connection from primary producer to carnivore S Food Web is the complex interrelationship of many food chains S Trophic levels focus on the transfer of energy
- 31. International Arctic Research Center http://www.iarc.uaf.edu/highlights/2005/coupled_marine_ec osystem/index.php
- 32. Trophic Levels S As move up food chain the size and numbers increase while the biomass decreases. Collectively the lower on the food chain the higher the biomass S Diversity also decreases S Open ocean energy transfer is 10% (i.e. human eats 10 kg salmon = salmon eat 100 kg of fish = fish eat 1000 kg of carnivorous zooplankton = carnivorous plankton eat 10,000 kg of herbivorous plankton = 100,000 kg was needed of phytoplankton to feed 1 kg on top) S 90% energy loss at each level goes to metabolic needs and organic material that is not ingested
- 34. Changes in the food web S Krill is the main diet for many animals in Antarctica (i.e. penguins, fish, seals, and whales S Recently seen decrease in krill last 40 years S Global Warming may to be to blame due to lack of sea ice which grows algae on underside for krill in the winter
- 36. Food Chains and Humans S What level in the food chain do humans tend to harvest food from oceans? S High on the food chain S Inefficient especially in open oceans S More efficient in high productivity areas along coasts S Best harvest is low on the food chain
- 38. Chemosynthetic communities S Where are they found? S East Pacific Rise, Mariana and Okinawa troughs, N. Fuji basin, mid Atlantic Ridge, and along Gorda and Juan de Fuca Ridges S What kind of animals do you find there? S Anemones, worms, barnacles, limpets, crab and fish
- 40. S Tube worms can be 10 ft long and grow 3.3 ft per year S No mouth or digestive system only internal body cavity is filled with bacteria S Synthesis or digestion is all done by the bacteria it’s self S Both clams and tube worms have red flesh and red blood based on hemoglobin
- 42. Chemosynthesis S Chemosynthesis = bacteria derive energy form dissolved chemicals in sea S Form of primary production that is not dependent on sunlight S Example of other communities: S Gulf of Mexico a crystalline mound of methane gas and hydrogen sulfide where worms lived 1800 ft down S Off Louisiana and Texas oil and gas seep up to surface where clams, mussels and large tube worms live at 1600-3000 ft down S N. Atlantic off mid-Atlantic Ridge Lost City of bacteria, sponges and coral 2300-2600 ft down
- 44. What is an extremophile? Do you know one? S Thriving in conditions no other life can live S Growing at 235 degrees F and depths of 12,000 ft = Pyrolobus fumarii S Uses hydrogen and sulfur compounds for energy S Also found in extreme cold 39 degrees F S Found in salt ponds for evaporation of seawater