Nutrients In The Ocean Flashcards
Photosynthesis?
6CO2 + 6H2O + solar energy = C6H12O6 + 6O2
Macronutrients?
Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Silicon
What happens if there is a lack of macronutrients?
limit plant growth on a regional and seasonal scale.
Micronutrients?
Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn etc.
What happens if there is a lack of micronutrients?
Limit growth of plants locally.
An excess of these could be toxic
Nitrogen properties?
Triple bond
very difficult to break bond
biological systems require fixed nitrogen
What are the types of nitrogen?
NO3- (nitrate), NH3 (ammonia), organic compounds
Nitrogen fixation?
N2 - cyanobacteria - ammonia
N2 - fertiliser production - oxidation - nitrate
nitrate - primary production and consumption - organic proteins
Order of availability of nitrogen?
Ammonia - nitrate - N2
The nitrogen cycle?
Very little nitrogen reaches or remains in deep ocean sediments. Decaying organisms will sink down to the substrate where there are large amounts of bacteria.
Surface water nitrogen concentrations?
Close to land and close to populated areas = most concentrated.
Global scale nitrogen concentrations?
Antarctica, currents move the concentrated water into different locations.
What is the subtropical convergence?
The boundary between warm and cold water.
Phosphorus?
essential for biological systems
key form PO4 2-
Ratio of N:P in phytoplankton = 16:1
