Fate Of Carbon In The Ocean Flashcards
Where does almost all of organic Carbon come from?
Photosynthesis
Why are Primary Producers important?
They are the base of the food web; conduct photosynthesis; turn inorganic material to organic material
Primary Producers
Creatures that make organic carbon from CO2.
Phytoplankton, Seaweed, and Algae
Where are Primary Consumers in the ocean?
Euphotic Zone
Primary Consumers
Organisms that eat Primary Producers. Eukaryotes & Bacteria
Carbon Fixation
Turning CO2 into organic carbon.
- Fix/Attach CO2 on organic molecule in cell.
Oxidation States
Tells us where energy is stored.
What are the two types of Oxidation States?
Reduction: Adding electrons
Oxidizaiton: Losing electrons
How does Oxidation State of Carbon change when we fix Carbon Dioxide?
Oxidation State decreases when going from CO2 to Organic Carbon.
What happens in cell in order to convert CO2 to sugar?
- Light Reaction: Light energy splits water to release oxygen. ATP & NADPH form.
- Dark Reaction (Calvin Cycle): Energy from ATP & NADPH is used to fix CO2 into sugar.
Phases of Calvin Cycle
Carbon Fixation - Reduction - Regeneration of Ribulose
Photoautotrophs
Get energy from light
Chemoautotrophs
Get energy by oxidizing inorganic compounds
How is Food Made?
Light + H2O + CO2 —> CH2O (sugar) —> Biomass
How does Biomass relate to Respiration?
Other organisms consume biomass to make energy through the Respiration Process.
Respiration Process
CH2O + O2 —> Energy + H2O + CO2
What happens in the cell during Cellular Respiration?
- Glycolysis - 2. Krebs Cycle - 3. Electron Transport Chain
What is Particulate Organic Carbon (POC)?
Any organic carbon that is caught on 0.7 micrometer filter.
- Sinkage
Methods for collecting POC
- Plankton Net
- Filtering Water on Deck
- Sediment Traps (Filtered in Pumps)
Why do we measure sinking POC?
Biological Pump: transfer of POC from the surface ocean to the deep ocean.
The Biological Pump removes CO2 from atmosphere to deep sea and provides food source for some oceanic life.
Who consumes Organic Carbon (POC)?
Microorganisms; Zooplankton; Fragmenting to Smaller Particles
What determines strength of Biological Pump?
The amount of POC sinking out of surface ocean.
