Coastal regions of the ocean have high primary productivity. What is the primary reason for this pattern?
A)There are few competitors so more photosynthetic organisms can live there.
B)Sunlight is able to penetrate coastal waters, so photosynthetic rates are high among autotrophs.
C)The water is warm, so more autotrophs live in coastal areas.
D)Erosional runoff from continents supplies abundant nutrients.
E)Upwelling of nutrient-rich deep waters commonly occurs along continental margins.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Coastal regions have high primary productivity mainly because sunlight can penetrate the shallow waters allowing photosynthesis (B), erosional runoff brings nutrients from land (D), and upwelling brings nutrient-rich deep waters to the surface (E), all of which support the growth of photosynthetic organisms.

Coastal Regions of the Ocean Have High Primary Productivity