First, overall, primary production is the process of organic material made through photosynthesis and is known to be the first step that structures the base of the marine food cycle. In this vast ocean almost all primary production is carried out by chlorophyll (single-celled organisms mention as phytoplankton) ( Kaiser et al., 2011 ). The study of Biological Oceanography includes viewing the factors that influence primary production by means of allowing many scientists to predict the future changes of these marine organisms. Notwithstanding the gaps mentioned above, this essay explores the main influencers of primary production processes. Light limitation, the surface of the ocean intends to have more light, when it comes to ocean depth quality and quantity of light determines the number of photosynthetic actives (Photosynthesis is regulated by the Increases or decrease of light intensity) ( Kaiser et al., 2011 ). As an example, diving or snorkeling in open water a person is able to observe the light penetration. It is possible for light to penetrate many meters in clearer waters unless there is interference caused by a large spread of sediment or other relative matters which could prevent the light from penetrating. This action makes divers and snorkelers have foggy visibility including difficulty to see at a certain distance. It doesn’t matter if the water is clear under a depth of 1000 meters, light will not penetrate beyond this water level ( Kaiser et al., 2011 ). Trichodosemeium is a species that comes from a group of bacteria call the “cyanobacteria” ( Kaiser et al., 2011 ). This species has the ability to reduce nitrogen gas, and flourish in water where nitrogen is limited. In the oceanic system phosphorus is a limiting nutrient. However, in phosphorus-limited systems, there is evidence that at least cyanobacteria adapt their metabolism to produce higher proportions of Sulphur and sugar-based membrane lipids instead of phospholipids in order to decrease the cellular demand for phosphorus (Dyhrman et al. 2007). Marine ecological production processes are limited by iron because it does not only differentially impact different phytoplankton taxa but also influences the modification of other elements’ biogeochemistry during the growth of phytoplankton (Gattuso & Hansson, 2011) . When iron is a limiting factor, it results in increased uptake of silicic acid relative to nitrogen and carbon ( Kaiser, Attrill, Jennings, Thomas, & Barnes, 2011 ). Therefore, when the iron is a severely limiting factor in marine ecological production, it leads to increased ratios of Si: N from iron-replete growth of one to 5 and/or more ratios. However, the concentrations of iron have no impact on the ratios of carbon: and nitrogen (Ducklow, Oliver, & Smith, 2003). Therefore, silica significantly enhances the growth of diatoms known to be produced under high iron limitation. Similarly, the same condition leads to alteration in the depth of silica, nitrogen, and carbon. By way of illustration, iron limitation negatively impacts direct stimulation in the growth of bacteria because it influences the improved growth of phytoplankton-derived DOM ( Kaiser et al., 2011 ). In HNLC waters, growth heterotrophic bacteria are rarely limited by limited iron. The inconsistency of HNLC condition is explained by low solubility in seawaters coupled with low iron atmospheric flux. Extracellular release of siderophores or iron-binding ligands may also explain the persistent limited growth of heterotrophic bacteria because with low concentrations of iron in seawaters, the secretion of Siderophores is negatively impacted (Hofmann et al, 2011). Upon binding with iron binds with siderophore, the complexity of siderophore-iron is experienced by the cell and internalized via cell-surface receptors leading to a condition where the iron is catabolized after being reduced ( Kaiser et al., 2011 ). The limitation of increasing seawater temperatures has three main effects on primary ecological production processes including macroalgal assemblages. It has the effect of increasing the rates of respiration by altering the ratio of respiration to photosynthesis and reducing the long-term net effect of primary productivity. Increased photoinhibition may be observed in a condition of high irradiance and high temperature combined leading to a decrease in NPP when the environment is characterized by high irradiance. Finally, temperature limitation has an effect on canopy layering which may, in turn, contribute to increased rates of respiration in full assemblages. It is because canopy layering makes algae beneath experience lower light intensities leading to the adverse impact of exacerbated temperature. Despite the fact that respiration rates of thalli are minimally affected by increased temperatures, there can be a larger negative effect of enhanced respiration rates and delivery of light underneath the canopy layer on total assemblage NPP. Primary ecological production processes involve the fixation of carbon by photosynthesis. In the ocean, there is a variance in the light field depending on the time of the year, time of the day, and depth (Kaiser et al., 2011). On several scales, there occur temporal variations ranging from annual to seasonal, diurnal, and seconds. Primary production is also influenced by various light regimes’ effect on phytoplankton populations’ adaptation including modification in each cell’s concentration of chlorophyll, alteration in the ratio of the photosynthetic unit to chlorophyll-a molecules as well as changes in auxiliary pigments’ concentrations known to play a role of either a photosynthetic or photo-protective part (Kaiser et al., 2011). The phytoplankton biomass is affected by variability in light acts. Usually, environmental scientists treat the phytoplankton pigment’s concentration, chlorophyll- a , as phytoplankton biomass’s index since all types of phytoplankton contain divinyl chlorophyll- due to the fact that it plays an integral part in the photosynthetic process. The tendency mentioned above impacts on primary production process because based on other factors, there are variances in the rate of photosynthesis depending on the increased concentration of chlorophyll- (Kaiser et al., 2011) . Another factor determining primary marine ecological production processes is the availability of nutrients essential for photosynthesis including nitrogen. In a water column of a stratified ocean, the upper illuminated layer has little nutrients with most of the nutrients being in the deeper layers (Kaiser et al., 2011). These nutrients are brought to the upper or surface layer by mixing events leading to improved primary production. In high latitudes and temperate regions, winter’s deep mixing events and subsequent stratification experienced during the start of surface warming contributes to the spring bloom which results in the primary production’s seasonal cycle in primary production. As a result, the impact of sporadic mixing events is imposed in reaction to passing storms. It leads to short-lived enhancements in primary production linked to the sporadic events mentioned above (Kaiser et al., 2011). The primary influencers of primary production are biomass and light. Indirect accountability can be done on other contributing factors including micronutrients, nutrients, temperature, and iron among others via their effect on the parameters of the irradiance-photosynthesis response function.
Conclusion
This essay explored why contrary to primary production, nitrate, iron, and carbon concentration and temperature limitation among other factors can be directly measured regarding their effect on the marine photosynthesis process. It is a biological primary production process that may only proceed without being interfered with by the removal of phytoplankton from their natural environment. Earlier literature on marine primary production shed light on the current understanding regarding biogeochemical cycling and marine ecology. The research indicated that the findings on the impact variables mentioned above on marine primary production may significantly contribute to academicians' and environmentalists’ understanding of ocean life.
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References
Ducklow, H. W., Oliver, J. L., & Smith, W. O. (2003). The role of iron as a limiting nutrient for marine plankton processes. Scope-Scientific Committee On Problems Of The Environment International Council Of Scientific Unions , 61 , 295-310.
Gattuso, J. P., & Hansson, L. (Eds.). (2011). Ocean acidification . Oxford University Press.
Hofmann, G. E., Smith, J. E., Johnson, K. S., Send, U., Levin, L. A., Micheli, F., ... & Matson, P. G. (2011). High-frequency dynamics of ocean pH: a multi-ecosystem comparison. PloS one , 6 (12), e28983.
Kaiser, M. J., Attrill, M. J., Jennings, S., Thomas, D. N., & Barnes, D. K. (2011). Marine ecology: processes, systems, and impacts . Oxford University Press.
