Primary Production Section Flashcards
What is the photosynthesis equation?
6CO2+6H2O ~> 6O2+C6H12O6
reactants. products
What are phytoplankton?
Microscopic marine algae
What are diatoms? What do they do?
unicellular organisms
they remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis
What are dinoflagellates? What do they do?
monophyletic group of single-celled eukaryotes.
They produce oxygen through photosynthesis
What are zooplankton?
Freely floating or weak swimming plankton
What are copepods? Where are they found? What do they do?
Small crustaceans found in nearly every freshwater and seawater habitat.
They are a key link in ocean food webs because they are eaten by bigger organisms.
What are krill? What do they do?
Small marine crustaceans
They are a key link in ocean food webs
What is Stellwagen Bank? Where is it?
Huge underwater sandbar, 24 miles long, 3-5 miles wide at its northern border, 14 miles wide at its southern end. Known as an excellent whale watching site. is also a sanctuary.
Located at the mouth of Massachusettes Bay
What is thermocline?
A steep temperature gradient in a body of water such as a lake, marked by a layer above and below which the water is at different temperatures.
How does latitude affect primary production?
In low latitudes (tropical), pp is limited by nutrient availability. In high latitudes, pp is more abundant because of the amount of light.
