Question

'Draw a clearly labelled diagram depicting the marine food chain with microbial loop (encompassing the role of viruses). At least 1 A4 page in the style of an essay.

Answer 1

Phytoplanktons are the primary autotrophs in oceans. Primary producers are those that metabolises via photosynthesis. These organisms utilize light energy from the sun and inorganic material to incorporate carbon dioxide into their cellular constituents.

Other group of microorganism found in the food chain is zooplanktons which comprises of non photosynthetic protists and animals. They can be unicellular and multicellular and capable of movements unlike phytoplankthon.

Ocean ecosystem consists of nitrogen, carbon.,oxygen, sulphur and others . The flow of chemicals through this food chain reaches through plankton to smaller vertebrates and invertebrates and finally reaches to largest marine animals.

The organic material produced by the primary producers moves to the next level.

In the microbial loop phytoplanktons such as diatoms and dinoflagelates begin the process when they use photosynthesis for their metabolism. At this time this microbes are eaten by next level of organism that includes heteritrophic bactrioplankton at this state either the bacterioplankton is consumed by the consumer in the next level and carbon continues to flow through the food pyramid.

If the bacterioplankton is infected by virus during the lighting cycle the carbon get return back to the microbial loop in the form of dissolved organic material.

Virus are dynamic players of microbial ecology of the oceans. By a phase of cell lysis they return ccarbon to the ocean which can be again utilised for photosynthesis. They also help to keep a balance of bacterial loops and alteration in the genetic host constituents.