The Caribbean Sea, like other tropical ocean regions, contains warm, clear water.Plankton is the base of the food web in all oceans and, because there is little plankton in the tropics, tropical ocean water is nearly sterile in comparison with the fertile waters of the temperate oceans.
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Why phytoplankton does not grow in the tropics?
Because the tropics have warm surface water, even in the winter, the thermocline never goes away, and the nutrients stay trapped down below in the depths. So even with ample sunlight, phytoplankton growth is severly limited. In the tropics, predators like coral make good use of what little plankton there is.
Why is Caribbean water so clear?
The Caribbean sea is so clear and blue because has little presence of plankton – or other substances – and it’s relatively shallow so most of the light is reflected. As a result, we see beautiful clear blue water. Water gets its color from the interaction of sunlight with water and the substances in the water.
Why is the water so blue in the Caribbean?
The Caribbean is such a light a shade of blue due to the tendency of the Caribbean coast to scatter sunlight. The fact that the sand is light colored and the water is relatively shallow also makes the water appear turquoise.
Why is the water so clear in the Bahamas?
The reason that the water in the Bahamas and Hawaii is clearer than along the California coast is likely a combination of both of these factors: 1) the sediments in the Bahamas and Hawaii tend to be composed of heavier particles that are not as easily stirred up or suspended, and 2) there tends to be far less
What is the difference between zooplankton and phytoplankton?
Difference Between Phytoplankton and Zooplankton
Phytoplanktons are plants while zooplanktons are animals, this is the main difference between them. Other Crustaceans, krills are examples of zooplanktons; algae and diatoms are examples of phytoplanktons. These two types of planktons float on water surfaces.
Why are there more zooplankton than phytoplankton?
Because phytoplankton depend on the sun for their food, they tend to live near the surface of the water where there is plenty of sun. Zooplankton, on the other hand, often remain in the deeper parts of the water where there is little sunlight and travel to the surface during the night to feed.
Are there sharks in the Caribbean waters?
Caribbean reef sharks are found exclusively in the Western Atlantic Ocean, from North Carolina down to Brazil. They are one of the most common shark species in the Caribbean Sea.
Why is Caribbean sand so white?
The rich, creamy-white beaches that are the trademark of the Caribbean islands are usually a mix of two kinds of sand: the ivory-colored calcareous variety (the broken-down skeletal remains of dead corals) and black, brown, or gray detrital sand (the result of the weathering of the island’s rock).
Where is the bluest water in the world?
20 Bluest Waters In the World
- The Maldives. The Maldives, located in the Indian Ocean, have around 1,190 islands and sandbanks.
- Palawan, Philippines.
- Crater Lake, Oregon.
- Ambergris Caye, Belize.
- Exuma, Bahamas.
- Hanauma Bay, Oahu, Hawaii.
- Egremnoi, Greece.
- Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia.
Where is the clearest water in the world?
10 Spots With the Clearest Waters in the World
- Jiuzhaigou Valley. China.
- Exuma. Bahamas.
- Zamami. Japan.
- Hvar. Croatia.
- Koh Lanta. Thailand.
- Lefkada. Greece.
- Blue Lake. New Zealand.
- Valley of the Five Lakes. Poland.
Why is Bora Bora water so clear?
Home to a multitude of luxury resorts on stilts above the water, Bora Bora attracts tourists from all over the planet looking to get an eyeful of clear, turquoise waters. The fine white sand surrounding the island accounts heavily for the clarity and color.
Where are the roughest seas?
The Stormiest Seas In The World
- Bay of Biscay.
- Cook Strait, between North & South Islands of New Zealand.
- Drake Passage, Southern tip of South America.
- Irminger Sea, between southern Greenland & Iceland.
- Maracaibo Lake, Venezuela.
- Port George lV, Western Australia.
- South China Sea.
- Southern Ocean.
Why are Bahamas so blue?
The blue color of the ocean comes from the absorption of red and green light wavelengths by the water.The blue is reflected to be received by your eyes and the light blue is a response to sunlight reflecting off the powdery white sands and corals on the bottom.
How deep is the Bahamas water?
The banks’ distinct contours, sharply outlined in dark blue, indicate that the ocean floor drops dramatically around them. In fact, over the banks, the water depth is often less than 10 meters (33 feet), but the surrounding basin plunges to depths as low as 4,000 meters (13,100 feet).
Why is the ocean salty?
Ocean salt primarily comes from rocks on land and openings in the seafloor.Rocks on land are the major source of salts dissolved in seawater. Rainwater that falls on land is slightly acidic, so it erodes rocks. This releases ions that are carried away to streams and rivers that eventually feed into the ocean.
Are all plankton microscopic?
Plankton are usually microscopic, often less than one inch in length, but they also include larger species like some crustaceans and jellyfish. Scientists classify plankton in several ways, including by size, type, and how long they spend drifting.
Is plankton from SpongeBob a zooplankton?
In the cartoon “SpongeBob SquarePants,” SpongeBob’s enemy, Plankton, is a type of zooplankton called a copepod.
What animal is plankton?
Plankton includes plants and animals that float along at the mercy of the sea’s tides and currents. Their name comes from the Greek meaning “drifter” or “wanderer.” There are two types of plankton: tiny plants–called phytoplankton, and weak-swimming animals–called zooplankton.
Is a jellyfish a plankton?
Jellyfish are plankton—they’re drifters. Usually we think of plankton as being tiny, and many of them are, but plankton just means living things in the water that can’t fight a current, which includes floating jellies.
Is there any difference in the plankton occurring in freshwater and seawater?
Answer: Plankton can be found in saltwater and freshwater.Very clear water usually has less plankton than water that is more green or brown in color.