Many of the organisms in the ocean are nutrient-limited. If you wanted to investigate this phenomenon, one reasonable approach would be to ________.
A) observe Antarctic Ocean productivity from year to year to see if it changes
B) experimentally enrich some areas of the ocean and compare their productivity to that of untreated areas
C) compare nutrient concentrations between the photic zone and the benthic zone in various marine locations
D) contrast nutrient uptake by autotrophs in marine locations that are different temperatures

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Experimentally enriching some areas of the ocean and comparing their productivity to that of untreated areas would allow for a direct investigation into the role of nutrient limitation in ocean productivity. This would provide concrete evidence on whether or not many organisms are nutrient-limited in the ocean. A, C, and D are also possible approaches, but they are not as direct or focused on nutrient limitation as option B.

Many of the Organisms in the Ocean Are Nutrient-Limited