PPT Slide
Oceanic habitats are as heterogeneous as terrestrial ones-at sea, the major producers are algae rather than vascular plants.
- Algal growth is very sensitive to availability of nutrients-thus, major zones of upwelling support diverse communities of organisms.
- Continental shelf areas frequently have high productivity-
- greater habitat structure and nutrients created by proximity of ocean bottom-
- Open ocean is less diverse, much less productive
- -nutrients tend to sink to bottom, and are out of reach to producers until upwelling brings them to the surface