Section outline

    • Trophic nets and biogeochemical cycles File PDF

      Trophic nets and detritus: concepts and definitions. Non-living organic matter in the ocean: POM and DOM, types, origin, composition. Bioavailable and recalcitrant organic matter. The role of the ocean in carbon cycle. Biological pump, microbial loop and microbial pump, viral shunt. Brief outline on N and S cycles. Trophic nets and energy flux in the ocean. Differences between land and sea. Examples from mediterranean coastal areas, coral reefs, mangroves, kelp forests. Keystone species and trophic nets. Top-down e bottom-up controls. Examples of trophic cascades: top predator and mesopredators. Study cases. Bentho-pelagic coupling.

    • supplementary material File ZIP