Q. Consider the following kinds of organisms :
1. Copepods
2. Cyanobacteria
3. Diatoms
4. Foraminifera
Which of the above are primary producers in the food chains of oceans?
Why this question:
- Recently (November 2020), scientists from the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Mangaluru have reported that ‘sea sparkle’ in the Karnataka coast has displaced microscopic algae called diatoms, which form the basis of the marine food chain.
- Also, an important static topic
Ans) b
Exp) Option b is correct.
Primary producers are the organisms who synthesis their own food using photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.
Option 1 is incorrect. Copepods are a group of small crustaceans found in nearly every freshwater and saltwater habitat. They are major primary consumers in the World Ocean. Copepods are generally herbivores, feeding only on plant plankton which they filter from the water.
Option 2 is correct. Cyanobacteria, also called blue-green algae, are microscopic organisms found naturally in all types of water. These organisms are primary producers who use sunlight to make their own food.
Option 3 is correct. Diatoms are photosynthesising algae. They are found in almost every aquatic environment including fresh and marine waters. They are primary producer in oceanic food chain.
Option 4 is incorrect. Foraminifera are single-celled organisms that are found in most marine environments. They are characterized by streaming granular ectoplasm for catching food. Foraminifera are heterotrophic organisms which consumes smaller organisms and organic matter.
https://www.cdc.gov/habs/pdf/cyanobacteria_faq.pdf
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/foraminifera
Subject) Environment
