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Marine Biology > Lecture 3 - Primary Production > Flashcards

Lecture 3 - Primary Production Flashcards

1
Q

What percentage of total carbon captured by photosynthesis on the planet occurs in the sea?

A

50%

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2
Q

What percentage of the Earth’s carbon dioxide is cycled and stored through marine systems?

A

Over 90%

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3
Q

How can we measure where phytoplankton are located?

A

Looking at chlorophyll concentration across the planet from satellite images.

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4
Q

What percentage of primary production is produced by phytoplankton?

A

50%

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5
Q

Describe how carbon flow is linked to photosynthesis in phytoplankton.

A
  • Phytoplankton photosynthesise in the surface layer, using nutrients.
  • Organic matter from dying phytoplankton sinks, removing nutrients from surface waters.
  • Photosynthesis can then carry on when layers are remixed.
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6
Q

What is primary production?

A

The fixing of carbon from an inorganic form to an organic form.

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7
Q

What is the term ‘carbon flow’ referring to?

A

The energy in the open oceans.

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8
Q

Name primary producers that are

a) Pelagic
b) Benthic

A

a) Pelagic = Phytoplankton

b) Benthic = Microalgae

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9
Q

How big are cyanobacteria?

A

1 micrometre in diameter

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10
Q

What is a holoplankton?

A

An organism that spends its whole life as a plankton.

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11
Q

What is a meroplankton?

A

An organism that spends only a part of its lifecycle as a plankton

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12
Q

What is a picoplankton?

A

A plankton that is 0.2-2 micrometers in diameter

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13
Q

What is a nanoplankton?

A

A plankton that is 2-20 micrometers in diameter?

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14
Q

What is a micro plankton?

A

A plankton that is 20-200 micrometers in diameter.

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15
Q

What is a mesoplankton?

A

A plankton that is 200-1000 micrometers in diameter.

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16
Q

What is phytoplankton in Greek?

A 
Phyton = plant
Planktos = drifter
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17
Q

Describe the structure of diatoms.

A

Small, single-cellular protists.

Cell wall called a frustule, made up of silica.

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18
Q

Describe the growth of diatoms.

A

Divide asexually up to 4 times a day - grow fast.

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19
Q

Do diatoms reproduce sexually?

A

They normally produce asexually, although sexual reproduction has been observed.

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20
Q

Describe algal blooms of diatoms.

A

Cause harmful algal blooms by producing domoic acid that causes shellfish poisoning.

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21
Q

Describe the structure of dinoflagellates.

A

Unicellular protists.

Have a flagellum in a groove around the edge of their main body.

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22
Q

What are zooxanthellae?

A

A type of dinoflagellate that lose their flagella when taken up by a coral host.

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23
Q

How many species of dinoflagellates have been observed?

A

Over 1,500

24
Q

What is responsible for the bioluminescence of dinoflagellates?

A
  • Enzyme luciferase

- Substrate luciferin

25
Q

What are red tides?

A

Blooms caused by dinoflagellates that are responsible for large die-offs of marine organisms.
Caused by neurotoxins called brevetoxins.

26
Q

How are coccolithophores distinguished?

A

They have calcium carbonate plates called coccoliths

27
Q

What organisms are responsible for carbon storage in the White Cliffs of Dover?

A

Coccolithophores

28
Q

What are the three groups of macroalgae?

What determines the group?

A
  • Green macroalgae
  • Red macroalgae
  • Brown macroalgae
    Depends on the pigment they use for photosynthesis and where they can be found on the shore.
29
Q

What percentage of global marine systems are covered with seagrasses and mangroves?

A

0.5%

30
Q

What percentage of carbon storage in marine sediments is from seagrasses and mangroves?

A

50%

31
Q

What is compensation depth?

A

The point at which respiration balances photosynthesis

32
Q

Where does compensation depth occur?

A

Just over 200m in depth

33
Q

Where is the maximum photosynthesis depth?

A

At approximately 80m below the surface

34
Q

What is productivity?

A

The amount of photosynthesis that occurs

35
Q

What is net primary production?

A

The difference between production (in photosynthesis) and respiration in the algal community.

36
Q

What percentage of carbon

a) Is recycled and used in surface waters?
b) Sinks out of surface waters to deeper ocean?

A

a) 90%

b) 10%

37
Q

What percentage of organic matter reaches the seabed?

A

1-3%

38
Q

What percentage of organic matter is incorporated into benthic sediments?

A

1%

39
Q

What is a biological pump?

A

The carbon that makes it out of the thermocline

40
Q

What is the most important limiting factor for primary production?

A

Nitrogen

41
Q

What is the second most important limiting factor for primary production?

A

Phosphorous

42
Q

What needs to happen for nitrogen for it to be usable?

A

It has to be reduce and turned into nitrate

43
Q

Describe trichodesmium.

A

A cyanobacteria that can fix nitrogen into nitrate and make it available.

44
Q

Give five limiting nutrients for primary production.

A
  • Nitrogen
  • Phosphorous
  • Sulphur
  • Iron
  • Silicate
45
Q

How is iron put into the oceans?

A

From desert dust blowing into oceans.

46
Q

95% of organic matter is made up of what six elements?

A
  • Carbon
  • Nitrogen
  • Hydrogen
  • Oxygen
  • Phosphorous
  • Sulphur
47
Q

In which zones are there

a) Lots of productivity and nutrients?
b) Low nutrients and productivity?

A

a) Eutrophic zones

b) Oligotrophic zones

48
Q

Where does most production occur?

A

In the North Atlantic or around the coastal areas

49
Q

What is Deep Chlorophyll Maximum?

A

The measurement of chlorophyll in water, where phytoplankton are.

50
Q

Describe seasonal plankton cycles in temperate regions.

A
  • Two phytoplankton blooms.

- One zooplankton bloom in summer.

51
Q

Describe seasonal plankton cycles in the Arctic.

A
  • One big strong peak in primary production when the sun comes up and melts the sea ice. Zooplankton have a single bloom following the phytoplankton bloom.
52
Q

Describe seasonal plankton cycles int he topics.

A

Heat drives a strong thermocline and low in nutrients, no seasonal patterns but small peaks - no high levels of primary production due to low nutrient availability.

53
Q

Where are there strong algal blooms?

A

At high altitudes

54
Q

How are algal blooms generally terminated?

A

By viruses

55
Q

What is the name of the project sailing a yacht around the ocean containing a mobile lab?

A

Tar Oceans Project

56
Q

How has the abundance changed of

a) Dinoflagellates?
b) Diatoms?

A

a) Dinoflagellates = declined in abundance.

b) Diatoms = increased in abundance.

Marine Biology (19 decks)

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