Examine each month’s map to see trends in chlorophyll concentration for the Nort

Question

Examine each month’s map to see trends in chlorophyll concentration for the Northern Hemisphere in the Atlantic Ocean. How does the location of the peak chlorophyll change throughout the course of the year? Why does chlorophyll change this way?

Examine the Southern Hemisphere seasonal trend in chlorophyll concentration (Southern, South Pacific, and South Atlantic Oceans). During which months would you predict a large phytoplankton population?

Chlorophyll concentrations are relatively high near the Equatorial region for every month. What does this imply about nutrient availability in the Equatorial region?

Explanation / Answer

Sea bed is composed of single cell algae and small phytoplanktons. These phytoplantons carry chlorophylls for photosynthesis. Growth of phytoplanktons depends on temperature, sunlight and nutrient levels. Thus chlorophyll concentration is proportional to phytoplankton growth. Chorophyll concentration will change according to the seasonal change. As cold waters contains highest levels of nutrients than warm waters, phyoplanktons tend to be more where water is cool. In Northern Hemisphre of Atlantic Ocean spring bloom is observed. During winters nutrients are accumulated but phytoplanktons can not grow due to lack of sunlight. When sunlight returns in spring and summer large number of phyoplankton growth occur causing the peak chlorophyll change.

After exmining the Southern Hemisphere seasonal trand in chlorophyll concentration, it can be said that March to June will show maximum large phyoplankton population.

In the Equatorial region mixing of vertical layers of sea water occur. In Equator, ocean current cause upwelling of water from the deeper region of the sea which contains nutrients. Therefore the surface water become always cool and nutrient rich which cause phytoplankton growth.

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