Net filterfeeder production (mgC/m2/d)  
Period: 03-Jan-1989-31-Dec-1989 Ave/Gridpoint=9.0811

Primary consumers

Zooplankton and the benthic suspension-feeders are the primary consumers in the system. Their main food is phytoplankton. Zooplankton utilise the whole water column for food, by migrating vertically; towards the surface at night, towards the sea-bottom during daytime. The benthic suspension-feeders, are limited to food which rains down on the sediment. In our model we assume that at the end of the diatom bloom (due to nutrient depletion) the diatoms become sticky and form macro aggregates which rapidly sink to the sediment. Thanks to this manna raining down from the water sky filter feeder production is of the same order of magnitude as zooplankton production. The main difference between zooplankton and filter feeder production is the spatial distribution. The fact that in the deeper areas less nutrients is available for production leads to a relatively smaller fraction sinking to the sediment in the deeper areas.