OCEANIC PRODUCTIVITY 15.3

TWO TYPES OF ORGANISMS PRODUCERS = MAKE THEIR OWN FOOD Phytoplankton Algae (diatoms, sea weed, etc.) bacteria CONSUMERS= FEED ON OTHER ANIMALS OR PLANTS Crabs Clams Fish Whales Sharks Sponges zooplankton

PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY OF FOOD PHOTOSYNTHESIS USES Produces glucose (sugar) by using: Light energy Carbon dioxide Water CHEMOSYNTHESIS USES Creates organic molecules using: Micro-organisms Inorganic nutrients Chemical energy

OCEANIC PRODUCTIVITY

PHOTOSYNTHETIC PRODUCTIVITY LIMITS Two factors influence a regions photosynthetic productivity: Availability of nutrients Amount of solar radiation

PHOTOSYNTHETIC PRODUCTIVITY LIMITS TROPICAL REGIONS Availability of nutrients  Lots of sunlight produces a thermocline  Thermocline prevents mixing of surface water with deep water  Nutrients can’t reach the surface (limited upwelling) POLAR REGIONS Amount of solar radiation  Lots of nutrients from the deep cold water  Limited to no sunlight during the winter months

TEMPERATE REGIONS (MID-LATITUDE) AVAILABILITY OF NUTRIENTS Spring Summer  Lots of sunlight produces a thermocline  Thermocline prevents mixing of surface water with deep water  Nutrients can’t reach the surface (limited upwelling) AMOUNT OF SOLAR RADIATION Fall Winter  Lots of nutrients from the deep cold water  Limited to no sunlight during the winter months

OCEANIC FEEDING RELATIONSHIPS Types of OrganismFeeds OnExample(s) ProducersMake their own foodPhytoplankton, algae, certain bacteria ConsumersPlants or other consumers Fish, crabs, snails HerbivorePlants onlyzooplankton OmnivorePlants and animalsCertain fish CarnivoreMeat onlysharks

ENERGY PYRAMID The transfer of energy between tropic levels is very inefficient. Only 2 percentage of energy taken in from the sun is converted into usable energy by phytoplankton. For the other tropic levels 10 percent of the remaining energy is passed on.

ENERGY PYRAMID

P. 437 MATH PRACTICE Sunlight Energy700,000 energy units given Phytoplankton(2%) = 14,000 energy units used to make glucose Zooplankton feeds on the phytoplankton (receives only 10% of the 14,000) = 1400 energy units Small fish feeds on the zooplankton (receives only 10% of the 1400) = 140 energy units Bait Fish feeds on the small fish (receives only 10% of the 140) = 14 energy units

FOOD CHAIN VS. FOOD WEB FOOD CHAIN Passage of energy along a single path FOOD WEB Complex series of feeding relationships with many organisms and many paths

FOOD CHAIN VS. FOOD WEB Animals that feed through a food web rather than a food chain are more likely to survive because they have alternative food to eat should one of their food sources diminish or disappear.