Beneath the Surface: Light in the Ocean
One of the defining elements that distinguishes one ocean layer from another is the presence or absence of light. The impact of light in the marine environment is significant. It affects the behavior of marine animals and has an impact on their anat...
Food for Thought: Global Patterns of Primary Productivity
Phytoplankton tend to concentrate in areas where the conditions for their growth and reproduction are optimal. Some of the most productive waters include the Antarctic and the North Atlantic during the springtime.
Food for Thought: Conditions Required for Photosynthesis
The first step in the primary production process is photosynthesis. It can only take place if certain critical conditions are met, including the presence of light and chemical nutrients. Temperature also plays a role, with reactions proceeding more ...
The Water Planet: Early Earth
At one time, Earth was a very different planet than it is today. Its atmosphere, in particular, bore very little resemblance to the one that we depend on for the air we breathe. It probably consisted primarily of carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas.
Food for Thought: Primary Producers and Photosynthesis
Primary producers are marine organisms so small that most of them can't be seen individually without magnification. But despite their small size, primary producers are extremely important. They take energy from other sources-primarily the sun-and us...
Its in the Water: Ocean and Carbon Dioxide, The
The exchange of gasses, like carbon dioxide, is a critical aspect of the ongoing and dynamic interaction between the ocean and the atmosphere. Scientists are very interested in the ocean's ability to absorb carbon dioxide that mankind's activities m...