The Production of Marine Plankton
J . E . G . R A Y M O N ' I
Department of Oceanography. University of Southampton. England
I . Introduction ......................................................
I1 . Phytoplankton Production ..........................................
A . Methods of Estimating Primary Production ........................
B . Factors affecting Primary Production .............................
1 . Light ......................................................
2 . Temperature ................................................
4 . Nutrients - Phosphate and Nitrate ............................
6 . Minor Nutrients .............................................
6 . Organic Requirements .......................................
C . Production - Temperature and Stratification ......................
I11 . The Standing Crop of Phytoplankton .................................
IV . Phytoplankton Crop and Annual Production ..........................
V . Grazing by Zooplankton ............................................
VI . Zooplankton ......................................................
A . Methods for Estimating the Standing Crop of .Zooplankton ...........
B . Regional Crop Assessments of Zooplankton .........................
C . Rate of Zooplankton Production ......................... .-. ......
D . The FeedingofZooplankton .....................................
E . Alternative Food Sources for Zoopla.nkton. ........................
F . Zooplankton - Quantitative Food Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
VII . Conclusion ........................................................
References .............................................................
3 . salinity ....................................................
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120
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126
133
134
136
138
140
147
165
167
160
168
168
170
178
182
186
188
189
191
I . INTRODUCTION
Production in the marine environment must depend as in any other
eco-system on the synthesis of organic matter of high potential chemical
energy from inorganic materials of low potential energy . There are only
two such primary autotrophic forms of production occurring in the
marine environment . Firstly there are the autotrophic bacteria which
by relatively simple chemica.1 reactions such as oxidations obtain energy
to synthesize complex organic matter . Although our knowledge of the
distribution of bacteria in the sea is limited, it appears that the contribution made by these autotrophic bacteria by chembsynthesis must be
very small (cf . Steemann Nielsen. 1960) . Kriris (1963) considered that
in a special region such as the Black Sea. such production might be very
E
117
J . E . G . R A Y M O N ' I
Department of Oceanography. University of Southampton. England
I . Introduction ......................................................
I1 . Phytoplankton Production ..........................................
A . Methods of Estimating Primary Production ........................
B . Factors affecting Primary Production .............................
1 . Light ......................................................
2 . Temperature ................................................
4 . Nutrients - Phosphate and Nitrate ............................
6 . Minor Nutrients .............................................
6 . Organic Requirements .......................................
C . Production - Temperature and Stratification ......................
I11 . The Standing Crop of Phytoplankton .................................
IV . Phytoplankton Crop and Annual Production ..........................
V . Grazing by Zooplankton ............................................
VI . Zooplankton ......................................................
A . Methods for Estimating the Standing Crop of .Zooplankton ...........
B . Regional Crop Assessments of Zooplankton .........................
C . Rate of Zooplankton Production ......................... .-. ......
D . The FeedingofZooplankton .....................................
E . Alternative Food Sources for Zoopla.nkton. ........................
F . Zooplankton - Quantitative Food Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
VII . Conclusion ........................................................
References .............................................................
3 . salinity ....................................................
117
120
120
126
126
133
134
136
138
140
147
165
167
160
168
168
170
178
182
186
188
189
191
I . INTRODUCTION
Production in the marine environment must depend as in any other
eco-system on the synthesis of organic matter of high potential chemical
energy from inorganic materials of low potential energy . There are only
two such primary autotrophic forms of production occurring in the
marine environment . Firstly there are the autotrophic bacteria which
by relatively simple chemica.1 reactions such as oxidations obtain energy
to synthesize complex organic matter . Although our knowledge of the
distribution of bacteria in the sea is limited, it appears that the contribution made by these autotrophic bacteria by chembsynthesis must be
very small (cf . Steemann Nielsen. 1960) . Kriris (1963) considered that
in a special region such as the Black Sea. such production might be very
E
117