Kauaʻi record · KCA-EP-0006
Phytoplankton primary production
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About Phytoplankton primary production
Photosynthesis by planktonic algae in estuarine, nearshore and offshore waters.
Names and classification
- Other names
- phytoplankton primary production
- Family
- Energy Capture & Primary Production
- Record type
- ecological_process
Habitat and ecology
- Ecological role
- Supports Atlas reasoning about ecosystem function, dependencies, threats, conservation leverage points and cross-module consequences.
Process and seasonal context
- Definition
- Photosynthesis by planktonic algae in estuarine, nearshore and offshore waters.
- Drivers
- light; water; nutrients; temperature; plant/algal biomass
- Inputs
- solar energy; CO₂; water; nutrients
- Outputs
- organic biomass; O₂; food-web energy
- Spatial scales
- site → ecosystem → island
- Temporal scales
- hourly → seasonal → interannual
- Validity and limits
- Context-specific; do not extrapolate across habitat, season, elevation, salinity or disturbance state without evidence.