Problem
You are studying phytoplankton blooms in the Gulf of Mexico. Answer the following questions:
1. You determine that bacterial heterotrophic production increases when primary production increases. Briefly describe why heterotrophic bacterial production increases when primary production increases.
2. You use PIT traps to quantify the amount of sinking organic matter over the course of a phytoplankton bloom. However, the amount of organic carbon in the sinking organic matter is much lower than the amount of organic carbon produced from photosynthesis. Briefly describe why the amount of organic carbon in the sinking organic matter is much lower than the amount of organic carbon produced from photosynthesis.