Bio Productivity and energy transfer.

Bio Productivity and energy transfer Ocean life is dependent on producers Most producers utilize energy from the sun via Photosynthesis (small % use chemical energy via chemosynthesis). This creates all of the organic matter necessary to sustain life (i.e. food).

Bio Productivity and energy transfer. Most oceanic producers are microscopic phytoplankton. Small percentage of oceanic producers are large plant like organisms.

Bio Productivity and energy transfer I. Basic biology taxonomy (again) Life is broken into Eukaryotes and Prokayotes. A. Prokaryotes – bacteria and archeabacteria. They have no membrane bound organelles nor a nucleus.

Bio Productivity and energy transfer B. Eukaryotes – Have chromosomes in a nucleus and membrane bound organelles. Include: a. plants b. animals c. fungus and d. protista (slime mold and single celled algea).

Bio Productivity and energy transfer II. Macroscopic Algae and Plants – large algae and plants found attached in shallow water. Classified based partly on their pigments and color.

Bio Productivity and energy transfer Brown Algae – Phylum = Phaeophyta -Includes bull kelp -Are the largest attached members of algal community

Bio Productivity and energy transfer Green Algae- Phylum Chlorophyta - Include sea lettuce - Poorly represented in ocean

Bio Productivity and energy transfer Red Algae – Phylum Rhodophyta - Most abundant of marine macroscopic algae.

Bio Productivity and energy transfer Marine plants – All marine plants are seed producers. -Provied food and habitat for marine animals. - Include Eelgrass and surfgrass.

Bio Productivity and energy transfer Microscopic Algae – 99% of marine food supply - mostly floating Protista

Bio Productivity and energy transfer A. Golden Algae- Phylum Chrysophyta - Diatomes with Opaline silica shell and can release toxins.

Bio Productivity and energy transfer - Coccolithophores – Calcium carbonite “test” with a whip like flagellum.

Bio Productivity and energy transfer B. Dinoflagellates- Phylum Pyrrophyta - Flagella used for locomotion. - blooms can cause Red Tides- releasing toxins = Shellfish store toxins which are poisonous to humans.

Bio Productivity and energy transfer IV. Primary productivity – Amount of carbon fixed by organisms to make organic matter, by using energy from the sun or other nonorganic source.

Bio Productivity and energy transfer A. Photosynthetic productivity. - Gross Primary Production – All organic matter created by photosynthesis - Net Primary Production – All organic matter created by photosynthesis minus that used by producers for respiration.

Bio Productivity and energy transfer -Depth at which oxygen production (photosynthesis) and oxygen consumption are equal is the Oxygen Compensation Depth. = Algae do not survive below this point.

Bio Productivity and energy transfer - 1% of biomass created at the euphotic zone reaches the deep sea floor. 1. Productivity in Polar oceans is limited only by light.

Bio Productivity and energy transfer 2. Productivity in tropical regions limited only by nutrients. Typically have lower productivity than temperate or polar oceans. However, coral reefs, equatorial upwelling zones, and coastal upwelling zones are still quite productive.

Bio Productivity and energy transfer 3. Temperate oceans – (mid latitude) - high productivity in Summer - low productivity in winter - Zooplankton populations peak after phytoplankton populations peak (why?)

Bio Productivity and energy transfer Areas of high productivity are called eutrophic Areas of low productivity are called oligotrophic

Bio Productivity and energy transfer Chemosynthetic productivity – Production of food via chemical reaction, but not using sunlight. -Rare and isolated to methane leeching fields and volcanic vents.

Bio Productivity and energy transfer Ecosystems and Energy Transfer. Producers create organic matter. Consumers eat organic matter Herbivores eat producers Carnivores eat consumers Omnivores eat both.

Bio Productivity and energy transfer A. Symbiosis – Ecological relationship between organisms. 1. Commensalism- One benefits from another while not harming it 2. Mutualism- Both benefit. 3. Parasitism – one benefits at the cost of the other.

Bio Productivity and energy transfer B. Energy flow is unidirectional in an ecosystem. -Only 10% of energy makes it from one level to the next (Ecological Efficiency).

Bio Productivity and energy transfer C. Nutrient flow is cyclic in an ecosystem -example: Carbon Cycle, Nitrogen Cycle etc.

Bio Productivity and energy transfer D. Food Pyramid.

Bio Productivity and energy transfer E. Food web.

Bio Productivity and energy transfer F. Food Chain.