Tiny Sea

Tiny Sea

Food Webs in the Sea - an introduction

The primary producers and their role in the food web. Primary producers are the plants in the sea at the base of the food  web, mainly unicellular algae. They can be tiny like phytoplankton but range in size up the giant kelp. The food webs in the sea are based on primary production i.e. photosynthesis in marine plants taking place in the photic zone. Photosynthesis uses sunlight as energy to convert inorganic materials like nitrogen, carbon dioxide and oxygen into organic compounds such as lipids (fats), sugars (carbohydrates) and amino acids (proteins). The amount of organic material produced by photosynthesis over time is called primary production. Phytoplankton are tiny but abundant and varied. There are over 4,000 species of marine phytoplankton. They are tiny because by decreasing its size an organism can achieve a high surface area to volume ratio which enables it to process material far more efficiently and quickly. Some phytoplankton have evolved complex shapes and ornamentations to increase surface area. They are autotrophic and live in the photic zone. Primary producers are at the bottom of the food web at the base of the trophic triangle. The holoplankton and the meroplankton and their relationship to phytoplankton Holoplankton spend their whole life in the water column whilst meroplankton are temporary residents. Both are zooplankton and depend on phytoplankton for food. There are over 5,000 species of holoplankton including cnidarians, ctenophores, molluscs, crustaceans ( including euphausia superba or krill) and arthropods. Meroplankton are temporary members of the zooplankton community and include many fish and invertebrate larva. These are concentrated near continental shelf areas and reefs. Many species release eggs that become temporary members of the community and leave when adult. Diel vertical migration in zooplankton. Diel vertical migration (DVM) is the daily migration of certain zooplankton to depth during the day and back to the surface at night. This is the largest mass movement of animals on earth and distances vary between a few meters movement and 400-500 meters. Other factors such as temperature, light and nearness of the seabed also influence distance. There are several main theories as to why there is this vertical migration: a) This may be a response to visible predators b) The zooplankton may be avoiding UV radiation c) This migration allows the zooplankton to take advantage of the presence of phytoplankton using Ekman spirals so when the zooplankton rise again they are in a different area with ungrazed plankton. They can also avoid toxins released by phytoplankton in this way. In addition these is a further consequence of DVM in that zooplankton ingest near the surface and excrete and respire at depth below the thermocline thus taking nutrients out of the system. Upwellings restore some of these nutrients to a higher level. Primary productivity on a global scale and discuss the differences in seasonal variation in productivity. On a global scale separate gyres act as separate ecosystems on a global scale. The large gyres found in the Atlantic and Pacific are tropical and sub tropical. They posses relatively low levels of nutrients in the photic zone partly because of the presence of a permanent thermocline. The DVM carries nutrients below this barrier and infrequent upwellings mean the photic area is depleted of nutrients despite high levels of light. In contrast the subpolar gyres have high levels of productivity since there are no permanent thermoclines, more upwellings  and storms mix the water and provide abundant nutrients although light may be limited for photosynthesis in the polar regions during winter months. Also areas of upwelling may increase in coastal areas, mid ocean upwellings caused by currents and islands. In addition another variation is that the centres of the gyres are less productive than the margins where some mixing of waters occurs. There are seasonal variations is productivity especially in the in the temperate regions where there are usually spring and autumn plankton blooms. There may be a temporary thermocline in the summer months that reduces rates. In addition the spring bloom may be bigger as there is increasing light for photosynthesis.. Also there is a seasonal succession of dominant species of phytoplankton in different climatic zones with one or more species dominating for short periods. Eventually a climax community will develop though. This may be due to different levels of vitamins being present for example at different times. These factors above lead to seasonal variation in productivity.

Dr Simon Harding

www.chronosconsulting.com

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