Question

Phytoplankton are great creatures:) Do you think that if we extract them from the sea in huge quantities, will this affect the food web in the sea?

Answer 1

As phytoplankton is also a huge producer of oxygen and so does photosynthesis, an intervention in huge quantities might not only affect on the food web, but that's a question on how you define "huge quantities". Maybe you can calculate it? How much does one person eat to get well-fed (average). How much plankton is in 1m³ (example) in the sea? Than you can calculate the whole water surface of the earth. You will get the number of planktons and you can calculate it's weight. Then you can divide those results and see, if it would be enough to feed the world :) That would be interesting :)

Answer 2

@germanphysics .... Honestly, I can't get a grip on what you've been explaining to me in terms of calculations.. o.O how is the average food intake of one person related to that particular question?
Could you please explain it to me in terms of examples? with actually figures? or give me some links please? thanks..

Answer 3

I just thought it might be interesting to know, if the world wide occurrence of phytoplankton is enough, to feed the world, because you asked for extrakting them from the sea... so for what reason? The calculation was just an idea, to have some values so you can say: That are highly too huge quantities, cause "high quantities" is quite undefined :)

Answer 4

The phytoplankton cumulative carbon compounds fixation (primary production) is the basis for the vast majority of oceanic and some freshwater food chains. Therefore if they are extracted from the sea in large quantities it will affect the food web as there will be shortage of food, which might lead to the death of some sea organisms.

Answer 5

@germanphysics.. well, extracting them from the sea doesn't mean that I was referring to making them some kind of food to feed the world..:P how about making biodiesel from them? 'cause they do contain oil which could be converted into biodiesel such as corn or others.. this may contribute in bringing down the food crisis. what do you think?

@lanre.. I agree with you.. but there're huge quantities of these organisms in sea water.. but do you think that we could actually breed them on lab scale? what would be the requirements?

Answer 6

Tsunami if you already knew. Why did you post this?

Answer 7

It can be bred in the lab. check. http://www.3reef.com/forums/breeding-tropical-fish/breeding-phytoplankton-57122.html

Answer 8

@Carniel ... I didn't know for sure.. marine science is actually new to me, that's why I'm asking for help.. your opinion matters to me.. What I know is what I want from these phytoplanktons.. but my question is how extracting them will affect the marine organisms which @lanre has clarified for me.

By the way, thanks @lanre..:)