Today we began by talking about our reading about virus’s role in the ocean. We then discussed the biological zonation of the ocean and learned about the different zones and layers, most of which are labled according the amount of light present. We also talked about the role of plankton in the ocean. Plankton can be harmful, for example, in algal blooms, and also helpful, by cycling the carbon and producing oxygen. Studying phytoplankton and their role in the ocean helps us to see the dynamic of the oceanic food web and thus a greater understanding of the ecology and biology of the ocean.
