112
GORDON A. RILEY
water column is a task beyond present oceanographic capabilities.
From general energetic considerations they probably constitute less
than 5% of the total consumers.
Comparative analyses of other areas would be desirable, but available data are too fragmentary to warrant the attempt. The Sargasso
Sea is of course relatively unproduct,ive. Phytoplankton production
in temperate and boreal waters probably is of the order of three times
that of the Sargasso Sea, and tropical upwelling areas perhaps are even
more productive. These more productive areas also appear to have
larger concentrations of non-living particulate matter, herbivorous
zooplankton, macrozooplankton of primarily carnivorous habit, fishes
and bottom fauna. Data could be compiled to show in a semi-quantitative way that all of the elements which have been considered here can
be expected to increase in more productive waters, although not
necessarily in exact proportion.
However, to use the Sargasso Sea as an example of the relations
between living and non-living matter seems quite justifiable. It is
not an average oceanographic situation, but there is no reason to
think that the inter-relationships are atypical.
These inter-relationships are infinitely more complicated than was
realized until recently, and our study of these problems is in approximately the same naive state as plankton studies of perhaps thirty years
ago. This review has required a rambling discussion of a good many
matters that could be stated more concisely if we understood them
better, but hopefully it will be of some help in focusing attention on
important problems that need further study.
VI. REFERENCES
Antia, N. J., Stephens, K., Tripp, R. B., Parsons, T. R. and Strickland, J. D. H.
(1962). A data record of productivity measurements made during 1961 and
1962. Rep. Xer. Oceanogr. Limnol. Fish. Res. B d . Can. 135, 33.
Barbcr, R. T. (1966). Interaction of bubbles and bacteria in the formation of
organic aggregates in sea-water. Nature, Lond. 211, 257-258.
Barber, R. T. (1968). Dissolved organic carbon from deep waters resists microbial
oxidation. Nature, Lond. 220, 274-275.
Batoosingh, E., Riley, G. A. and Keshwar, Barbara. (1969). An analysis of
experimental methods for producing particulate organic matter in sea water
by bubbling. Deep Sea Res. 16, 213-219.
Baylor, E. R., Sutcliffe, W. H. and Hirschfeld, D. S. (1962). Adsorption of phosphates onto bubbles. Deep Sea Res. 9, 120-124.
Baylor, E. R. and Sutcliffe, W. H. (1963). Dissolved organic mattcr in seawater
as a source of particulatc food. Limnol. Oceanogr. 8, 369-371.
Bernard, F. (1967). Research on phyt#oplankton and pelagic protozoa in the
Mediterranean Sea from 1953 t o 1966. Ocean. M a r . Biol. Ann. Rev. 5, 205229.
GORDON A. RILEY
water column is a task beyond present oceanographic capabilities.
From general energetic considerations they probably constitute less
than 5% of the total consumers.
Comparative analyses of other areas would be desirable, but available data are too fragmentary to warrant the attempt. The Sargasso
Sea is of course relatively unproduct,ive. Phytoplankton production
in temperate and boreal waters probably is of the order of three times
that of the Sargasso Sea, and tropical upwelling areas perhaps are even
more productive. These more productive areas also appear to have
larger concentrations of non-living particulate matter, herbivorous
zooplankton, macrozooplankton of primarily carnivorous habit, fishes
and bottom fauna. Data could be compiled to show in a semi-quantitative way that all of the elements which have been considered here can
be expected to increase in more productive waters, although not
necessarily in exact proportion.
However, to use the Sargasso Sea as an example of the relations
between living and non-living matter seems quite justifiable. It is
not an average oceanographic situation, but there is no reason to
think that the inter-relationships are atypical.
These inter-relationships are infinitely more complicated than was
realized until recently, and our study of these problems is in approximately the same naive state as plankton studies of perhaps thirty years
ago. This review has required a rambling discussion of a good many
matters that could be stated more concisely if we understood them
better, but hopefully it will be of some help in focusing attention on
important problems that need further study.
VI. REFERENCES
Antia, N. J., Stephens, K., Tripp, R. B., Parsons, T. R. and Strickland, J. D. H.
(1962). A data record of productivity measurements made during 1961 and
1962. Rep. Xer. Oceanogr. Limnol. Fish. Res. B d . Can. 135, 33.
Barbcr, R. T. (1966). Interaction of bubbles and bacteria in the formation of
organic aggregates in sea-water. Nature, Lond. 211, 257-258.
Barber, R. T. (1968). Dissolved organic carbon from deep waters resists microbial
oxidation. Nature, Lond. 220, 274-275.
Batoosingh, E., Riley, G. A. and Keshwar, Barbara. (1969). An analysis of
experimental methods for producing particulate organic matter in sea water
by bubbling. Deep Sea Res. 16, 213-219.
Baylor, E. R., Sutcliffe, W. H. and Hirschfeld, D. S. (1962). Adsorption of phosphates onto bubbles. Deep Sea Res. 9, 120-124.
Baylor, E. R. and Sutcliffe, W. H. (1963). Dissolved organic mattcr in seawater
as a source of particulatc food. Limnol. Oceanogr. 8, 369-371.
Bernard, F. (1967). Research on phyt#oplankton and pelagic protozoa in the
Mediterranean Sea from 1953 t o 1966. Ocean. M a r . Biol. Ann. Rev. 5, 205229.