Why does coastal upwelling lead to high biological productivity view available hint S?
Why does coastal upwelling lead to high biological productivity? It provides a current for fish to move up in the water column to devour the phytoplankton on the surface. It brings warm, nutrient-rich water to the surface, where phytoplankton reside.
Why is primary production high in upwelling areas?
This high productivity is mainly the result of the coastal upwelling process by which subsurface, nutrient-rich waters ascend to the surface in response to wind stress on surface water, fertilizing waters in the photic zone and promoting phytoplankton blooms.
Why are upwelling zones generally more productive than coastal oceans?
***Why are upwelling zones generally more productive than coastal oceans? COASTAL=shallow in comparison to the open ocean with a higher proportion of the water column and higher nutrient inputs coming from terrestrial run-off. MORE TURBIDITY in coastal waters, which limits the depth reached by solar radiation.
Why is the presence of a pycnocline such an important factor in controlling biologic productivity?
The pycnocline creates a density barrier preventing nutrient rich water from mixing with the surface water. What are the two primary factors that control biologic productivity in the surface oceans?
Why are upwellings important?
Effects of Upwelling Because the deep water brought to the surface is often rich in nutrients, coastal upwelling supports the growth of seaweed and plankton. These, in turn, provide food for fish, marine mammals, and birds. Upwelling generates some of the world's most fertile ecosystems.
What is upwelling and why is it important?
Upwelling occurs when surface waters diverge (move apart), enabling upward movement of water. Upwelling brings water to the surface that is enriched with nutrients important for primary productivity (algal growth) that in turn supports richly productive marine ecosystems.
What is the importance of upwelling?
Effects of Upwelling Because the deep water brought to the surface is often rich in nutrients, coastal upwelling supports the growth of seaweed and plankton. These, in turn, provide food for fish, marine mammals, and birds. Upwelling generates some of the world's most fertile ecosystems.
Why is the pycnocline so important?
More dense fluids sink and less dense fluids rise. The ocean's pycnocline is very stable thus suppressing mixing between the mixed layer and deep layer; that is, the pycnocline acts as a barrier to vertical motion within the ocean. The concept of stability is useful in understanding this property of the pycnocline.
What are the two main factors in ocean productivity?
The proximity to land and its nutrient sources, the interception of sinking organic matter by the shallow seafloor, and the propensity for coastal upwelling all result in highly productive ecosystems.
Why is upwelling important quizlet?
Why is upwelling extremely important to organisms? Upwelling is important because the nutrients that are brought to the surface support the growth of phytoplankton and zooplankton, which supports other life.
Why is upwelling important along nearshore marine environments?
The deeper water that rises to the surface during upwelling is rich in nutrients. These nutrients “fertilize” surface waters, encouraging the growth of plant life, including phytoplankton.
What is upwelling and why is it important quizlet?
Why is upwelling extremely important to organisms? Upwelling is important because the nutrients that are brought to the surface support the growth of phytoplankton and zooplankton, which supports other life.
Why are upwellings and Downwellings important for marine environments?
Upwelling and downwelling describe mass movements of the ocean, which affect both surface and deep currents. These movements are essential in stirring the ocean, delivering oxygen to depth, distributing heat, and bringing nutrients to the surface.
What upwelling means?
Upwelling is a process in which deep, cold water rises toward the surface. This graphic shows how displaced surface waters are replaced by cold, nutrient-rich water that “wells up” from below.
What does pycnocline mean in oceanography?
pycnocline, in oceanography, boundary separating two liquid layers of different densities. In oceans a large density difference between surface waters (or upper 100 metres (330 feet)) and deep ocean water effectively prevents vertical currents; the one exception is in polar regions where pycnocline is absent.
Why the biologic productivity of the ocean is high in the Arctic Ocean?
In particular, the melting and retreat of sea ice during spring are strong drivers of primary production in the Arctic Ocean and its adjacent shelf seas due to enhanced light availability (Barber et al.
What key factors are needed for biological productivity?
These include solar energy input, temperature and moisture levels, carbon dioxide levels, nutrient availability, and community interactions (e.g., grazing by herbivores) 2.
What is an upwelling and why is it so important?
Coastal upwelling is the process by which strong winds blow down the coasts of continents and, in conjunction with the earth's rotation, cause the surface waters to be pushed offshore. Water from the ocean depths is then pulled up – or upwelled – to the surface to take its place.
Why is upwelling so important?
Effects of Upwelling Because the deep water brought to the surface is often rich in nutrients, coastal upwelling supports the growth of seaweed and plankton. These, in turn, provide food for fish, marine mammals, and birds. Upwelling generates some of the world's most fertile ecosystems.
What is upwelling Why is it important?
Upwelling occurs when surface waters diverge (move apart), enabling upward movement of water. Upwelling brings water to the surface that is enriched with nutrients important for primary productivity (algal growth) that in turn supports richly productive marine ecosystems.
Why does upwelling increase biological productivity quizlet?
Why does upwelling increase biological productivity? It provides nutrients used by phytoplankton. Where on the globe does deep-water formation occur?
What is upwelling quizlet?
Upwelling. The upward motion of water. brings cold, nutrient rich water to surface.
Which conditions in the ocean promote high productivity?
Water that rises to the surface as a result of upwelling is typically colder and is rich in nutrients. These nutrients “fertilize” surface waters, meaning that these surface waters often have high biological productivity.
Why are coastal ecosystems highly productive?
Coastal ecosystems are generally highly productive because they benefit from nutrients in runoff water and they're shallow providing ample light and shelter because plants can grow in many coastal ecosystems.
What does high biological productivity mean?
Definition of Biological productivity: The quantity of organic matter or its equivalent in dry matter, carbon, or energy content which is accumulated during a given period of time.
What environment has the highest biological productivity?
An important measure of natural ecosystems is the biological production of its plants and animals—that is, the total amount of biomass produced by living organisms within a given area in a specific period of time. In polar regions the greatest biological production occurs…
What is the biological importance of upwelling and downwelling zones?
Downwelling leads to reduced productivity, as it extends the depth of the nutrient-limited layer. Upwelling occurs where surface currents are diverging, or moving away from each other. As the surface waters diverge, deeper water must be brought to the surface to replace it, creating upwelling zones.
What is upwelling how is it caused quizlet?
Coastal upwelling is the process where wind blows along a coastline. The wind causes the water at the ocean surface to move away from the coast, because of a process called Ekman transport. When surface water moves away from the coast, water from deeper in the ocean rises up and takes its place.
What contributes mainly to the high primary productivity of coastal areas?
The proximity to land and its nutrient sources, the interception of sinking organic matter by the shallow seafloor, and the propensity for coastal upwelling all result in highly productive ecosystems.
Why is upwelling so important biologically quizlet?
Upwelling is important because the nutrients that are brought to the surface support the growth of phytoplankton and zooplankton, which supports other life.