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
A. Brown Algae – Phylum =
Phaeophyta
-Includes bull kelp
-Are the largest attached
members of algal
community
Bio Productivity and energy transfer
B. Green AlgaePhylum
Chlorophyta
- Include sea
lettuce
- Poorly
represented in
ocean
Bio Productivity and energy transfer
C. Red Algae – Phylum
Rhodophyta
- Most abundant of
marine macroscopic
algae.
Bio Productivity and energy transfer
D. Marine plants – All
marine plants are
seed producers.
-Provied food and habitat
for marine animals.
- Include Eelgrass and
surfgrass.
Bio Productivity and energy transfer
III. 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
3. Areas of high
productivity are called
eutrophic
4. Areas of low productivity
are called oligotrophic
Bio Productivity and energy transfer
B. 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
V. 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.