Primary producers are present in every biome, including the deep sea. How can there be primary producers in the deep sea when sunlight does not penetrate to these depths? A)There are probably only two trophic levels because there is only light available from bioluminescent organisms. B)The higher trophic levels (secondary or tertiary consumers)are probably only represented by one or two species because of the low levels of energy available from primary producers. C)Primary producers in the deep sea use energy from chemical reactions to drive the reduction of CO₂ to organic compounds. D)The biome is not stable because there is not a constant source of molecules available for primary producers to convert into biomass.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Primary producers in the deep sea use a process called chemosynthesis, in which they use energy from chemical reactions to drive the reduction of compounds such as CO₂ into organic compounds. This allows for the existence of a food chain and the presence of higher trophic levels, despite the absence of sunlight.

Primary Producers Are Present in Every Biome, Including the Deep