If you stack 1000 one micron phytoplankton end to end, the length of the stack would equal the width of a penny! (18,000 would fit across the face)
Concentration: 1000's to 1,000,000 per milliliter
If you fill a Coke can with seawater sampled from a thick, oceanic phytoplankton bloom, the can may contain a many as 75 to 100 million cells!
Global Biomass: < 1% of the plant biomass on earth
BUT responsible for nearly half the net photosynthesis of the biosphere!
Q:
Why are satellite chlorophyll measurements important for understanding photosynthesis in the oceans?
A:
Because chlorophyll concentrations tell you the biomass of pigment in the water being used by phytoplankton for photosynthesis.
Q:
A:
(1) Release of CO2 back into the water/atmosphere
Q:
In contrast to the above question, what are major carbon storage pools in terrestrial systems?
A:
(1) Plant roots and stems
Q:
How does phytoplankton photosynthesis influence atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations?
A:
Carbon dioxide is constantly exchanged between the atmosphere and ocean. Photosynthesis extracts carbon dioxide from the water to form plant biomass. The decrease in carbon dioxide in the water consequently requires that more atmospheric carbon dioxide is taken to re-establish the equilibrium.
Q:
What are three examples of fossil carbon reservoirs of biological origin?
A:
(1) Coal
(2) Release into the dissolved organic pool
(3) Sinking of dead phytoplankton and zooplankton waste to the sediments
(2) Storage of organic matter in soils
(2) Calcium carbonate (e.g., Hill of Dover)
(3) Petrolium
Mike Behrenfeld(mjb@neptune.gsfc.nasa.gov)