Satellite view of world productivity

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Satellite view of world productivity
Figure 13-6
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Oceanic photosynthetic productivity

• Controlling factors affecting photosynthetic
  productivity
• Availability of nutrients
• Nitrates
• Phosphates
• Iron
• Amount of sunlight
• Varies daily and seasonally
• Sunlight strong enough to support photosynthesis
  occurs only to a depth of 100 meters (euphotic
  zone)

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Locations of maximum photosynthetic productivity

• Margins of the oceans
• Abundant supply of nutrients from land
• Water shallow enough for light to penetrate all
  the way to the sea floor
• Upwelling areas
• Currents hoist cool, nutrient-rich deep water to
  the sunlit surface

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Productivity in tropical, temperate, and polar
oceans
Figure 13-13
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Photosynthetic marine organisms Plants

• Seed-bearing plants
• Eelgrass (Zostera)
• Surf grass (Phyllospadix)

Surf grass
Figure 13-7
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Photosynthetic marine organisms Macroscopic algae

• Brown algae
• Sargassum (top left)
• Macrocystis (top right)
• Green algae
• Codium (bottom left)
• Red algae
• Lithothamnion (bottom right)

Figure 13-8
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Photosynthetic marine organisms Microscopic algae

• Microscopic algae include
• Golden algae
• Diatoms (silica test resembles a pillbox)
• Coccolithophores (calcite plates form a spherical
  test)
• Dinoflagellates
• Produce a test made of keratin
• Posses a whip-like flagella
• Bioluminescence
• Exist in great abundance, creating red tides
  (harmful algae blooms)

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Dinoflagellates and red tides
Figure 13C
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Energy flow in marine ecosystems

• Categories of organisms
• Producers
• Consumers
• Decomposers

Figure 13-14
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Ecosystem energy flow and efficiency

• Energy is passed between trophic (feeding) levels
• Transfer efficiencies
• Algae 2
• Other levels 10

Figure 13-18
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Biomass pyramid

• At each step up the pyramid, there is/are
• Larger organisms
• Fewer individuals
• A smaller total biomass

Figure 13-20