What is the nutrient source for producers that live in the deep dark ocean?

The three main sources of energy and nutrients for deep sea communities are marine snow, whale falls, and chemosynthesis at hydrothermal vents and cold seeps.

1. Where do the nutrients in the deep sea come from?
2. What is the source of energy in deep sea water?
3. What is responsible for providing nutrients to the life of the deep ocean floor?
4. Where are most nutrients found in the ocean?
5. What nutrients are available in the deep sea?
6. What are the three major sources of nutrients in the ocean?
7. How do organisms in the deep ocean get energy to live?
8. What is the source of energy for the life in deep ocean trenches where sunlight does not reach?
9. What does phytoplankton feed on?
10. What is the purpose of phytoplankton?
11. Which is most likely to be the energy source for organisms living in hydrothermal vents?
12. Why are deep waters rich in nutrients?
13. How do nutrients move in the ocean?
14. Which is the most abundant nutrient in seawater?

Where do the nutrients in the deep sea come from?

Nutrients in the ocean are cycled by a process known as biological pumping, whereby plankton extract the nutrients out of the surface water and combine them in their organic matrix. Then when the plants die, sink and decay, the nutrients are returned to their dissolved state at deeper levels of the ocean.

What is the source of energy in deep sea water?

Most of the sulfur comes from the Earth's interior; a small portion (less than 15 percent) is produced by chemical reaction of the sulfate (SO4) present in the sea water. Thus, the energy source that sustains this deep-ocean ecosystem is not sunlight but rather the energy from chemical reaction (chemosynthesis).

What is responsible for providing nutrients to the life of the deep ocean floor?

Through the process of chemosynthesis, bacteria provide energy and nutrients to vent species without the need for sunlight.

Where are most nutrients found in the ocean?

Just like plants in your garden, plants in the ocean require nutrients to grow. The most important nutrients for phytoplankton growth in the ocean are nitrate and phosphate. Some types of phytoplankton, called diatoms, also require the nutrient silicate, which they use to build their cell walls.

What nutrients are available in the deep sea?

Deep ocean minerals (DOM) are mineral nutrients (chemical elements) extracted from deep ocean water (DOW) found at ocean depths of between 250 and 1500 meters. DOW contains over 70 mineral nutrients and trace elements including magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca) and potassium (K) in their bio ionic form.

What are the three major sources of nutrients in the ocean?

Land-based activities resulting in agricultural runoff, sewage and industrial discharges, and atmospheric releases from fossil fuel combustion are the main anthropogenic sources of nutrients to the marine environment (GESAMP 2001).

How do organisms in the deep ocean get energy to live?

Where does energy come from in the deep sea? Most life on earth uses the sun as its power source. ... In the deep ocean, many hundreds of meters away from the sun's rays, another process is taking place: chemosynthesis. Tiny microbes use chemical energy instead of light to combine water and carbon dioxide to make sugar.

What is the source of energy for the life in deep ocean trenches where sunlight does not reach?

ANSWER. No sunlight reaches the deep ocean trenches and they get all of their energy from chemicals dissolved in the water.

What does phytoplankton feed on?

Phytoplankton rely on nutrients found in their surroundings, such as phosphate, nitrate, and calcium, to thrive. In addition to phytoplankton and zooplankton, two even smaller kinds of plankton can be found floating in the sea. Bacterioplankton are bacteria and virioplankton are viruses.

What is the purpose of phytoplankton?

Phytoplankton is the base of several aquatic food webs. In a balanced ecosystem, they provide food for a wide range of sea creatures. Phytoplankton, also known as microalgae, are similar to terrestrial plants in that they contain chlorophyll and require sunlight in order to live and grow.

Which is most likely to be the energy source for organisms living in hydrothermal vents?

Hydrogen sulfide is the primary energy source for hot vents and cold seeps. Chemosynthesis is a process special bacteria use to produce energy without using sunlight. The energy comes from the oxidization of dissolved chemicals which escape from the Earth's crust through hydrothermal vents.

Why are deep waters rich in nutrients?

Deep waters are rich in nutrients, including nitrate, phosphate and silicic acid, themselves the result of decomposition of sinking organic matter (dead/detrital plankton) from surface waters.

How do nutrients move in the ocean?

Currents slowly turn over water in the entire ocean, from top to bottom. It is somewhat like a giant conveyor belt, moving warm surface waters downward and forcing cold, nutrient-rich waters upward. ... For example, if surface water cools and becomes denser, it will sink.

Which is the most abundant nutrient in seawater?

An explanation of why seawater is salty. The six most abundant ions of seawater are chloride (Cl⁻), sodium (Na⁺), sulfate (SO²₄⁻), magnesium (Mg²⁺), calcium (Ca²⁺), and potassium (K⁺). By weight these ions make up about 99 percent of all sea salts.