Interactions
a relationship between two different organisms where both organisms benefit
mutualism
microscopic, pant like organisms, often called "grass of the sea," that drift in the sunlit, upper layer of the ocean
phytoplankton
The continuous, natural process by which carbon atoms travel between the atmosphere, oceans, soil, rocks, and living organisms
carbon cycle
if the average energy transfer efficiency between trophic levels is 10%, how much energy is available to a tertiary consumer if the primary producer level has 10,000 kJm2/year
10 kJm-2year-1
a diagram that shows the amount of energy in each trophic level of a food chain
pyramid of energy
organisms living on the exterior of hosts in ocean ecosystems, with high diversity including copepods, isopods, and mites
ectoparasites
the ecological interactions, population cycles, and behavioral changes between predators and their prey, acting as a core force for ecosystem balance
predator-prey-dynamics
A natural oceanographic process where deep, cold, and nutrient rich water rises to the surface, replacing warmer, nutrient depleted surface water
upwelling
If the carrying capacity for a population of fish is 10,000 in a specific reef area, calculate the impact on population growth rate if the available space is reduced by 25%
reduction in carrying capacity by 7,500
an organism that is adapted to survive extreme temperature, pressure, salinity, or pH
extremophile
Close, long-term interactions between different species
Symbiosis
the hierarchical, step by step feeding positions organisms occupy in a food chain or web, defining how energy flows from producers to apex predators
trophic level
The flow of water from rain, snowmelt, or irrigation across the land surface into streams, rivers, and ultimately the ocean
runoff
The solar energy falling on the ocean is 1.7 x 106 kJm-2 year-1 and the phytoplankton are able to use 18754 kJm-2year-1 of this. Calculate the percentage of the suns energy that is used by phytoplankton
1.10%
an organism which is able to use light energy to synthesize organic compounds
photoautotroph
Environmental changes, stressors, or impacts caused or influenced by human activity rather than natural processes
anthropogenic
approximately 10% of the energy from on trophic level is passed to the next higher level, with 90% lost to metabolic heat and waste.
10% energy transfer rule
The process where gases from the atmosphere such as CO2 and O2 dissolve into liquid water, primarily oceans and surface water
The gross primary production in an ecosystem is 78935 kJm-2year-1 and the energy lost in respiration is 23647 kJm-2year-1. Calculate the net primary production
55261 kJm-2year-1
an organism which is able to use chemical energy to synthesize organic materials
chemoautotroph
A form of commensalism symbiosis where one animal attaches itself to another solely for transportation or dispersal
Phoresis
top level predators at the fifth trophic level, feeding on tertiary consumers and having no natural enemies
quaternary consumers (apex predators)
The biological process by which microbes, such as bacteria and archaea, create energy and organic matter using inorganic chemical reactions instead of sunlight
chemosynthesis
Given that coral reefs cover only 1% of the ocean floor but support 25% of all marine species, determine the ratio of species density on reefs compared to the rest of the ocean.
33:1
The process by which a body of water becomes enriched in dissolved nutrients (such as nitrates and phosphates) that stimulate the growth of producers, usually resulting in the depletion of dissolved oxygen
eutrophication