Question

Sargassum is a macroscopic, floating brown alga or seaweed common to the North Atlantic. Between 2011-18, Sargassum bloomed in a stretch of water between Africa and South America creating giant mats so large that scientists have named it the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt. Sargassum serves as breeding grounds or a vital part of the food chain in the open ocean, but also covers beaches and other coastal areas with thick layers that impede species’ movement and function. Scientists suspected high nutrient levels as the cause of the bloom. They indirectly tested their hypothesis by using previously collected satellite data to determine the amount of chlorophyll a (a plant pigment) in nearby surface waters in that region of the Atlantic. They found that chlorophyll a spiked in the Amazon River plume in 2009 and remained high for nearly every year following. Other scientists discovered that deforestation and fertilizer use have increased in the Amazon since 2010.

Jamaican entrepreneurs put Sargassum to good use by making it into goat feed. After collecting the alga for free, they can convert 5. 44 x 103 kg of Sargassum into 4. 26x103kg of goat feed each week. Feed is sold to local farmers for $0. 26 a kilogram.




IDENTIFY one ecological disadvantage of the Great Atlantic Sargassum

IDENTIFY the year in which Sargassum covered 4 x 103 km2 of the Caribbean and Central Atlantic.

IDENTIFY the dependent variable in the chlorophyll investigation.

IDENTIFY the independent variable in the chlorophyll investigation.

Based upon the chlorophyll study, MAKE A CLAIM about the area of origin and EXPLAIN the formation of the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt that is despoiling Caribbean beaches.

CALCULATE how much goat feed is produced per kg of Sargassum.

CALCULATE the maximum yearly revenue of goat feed

Answer 1

One ecological disadvantage of the Great Atlantic Sargassum is that it covers beaches and other coastal areas with thick layers, impeding species' movement and function.

The year in which Sargassum covered 4 x 10^3 km2 of the Caribbean and Central Atlantic is not provided in the given information.

The dependent variable in the chlorophyll investigation is the amount of chlorophyll a (plant pigment) in nearby surface waters in the region of the Atlantic.

The independent variable in the chlorophyll investigation is not specified in the given information.

Based on the chlorophyll study, a claim can be made that the high nutrient levels, likely due to deforestation and increased fertilizer use in the Amazon since 2010, contribute to the formation of the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt that is despoiling Caribbean beaches. The excess nutrients from the Amazon River plume stimulate the growth of Sargassum.

To calculate how much goat feed is produced per kg of Sargassum, we divide the converted amount of goat feed (4.26 x 10^3 kg) by the amount of Sargassum used (5.44 x 10^3 kg):

Goat feed produced per kg of Sargassum = 4.26 x 10^3 kg / 5.44 x 10^3 kg = 0.783 kg of goat feed per kg of Sargassum.

To calculate the maximum yearly revenue of goat feed, we multiply the amount of goat feed produced per week (4.26 x 10^3 kg) by the price per kilogram ($0.26) and then multiply by the number of weeks in a year (assuming 52 weeks):

Maximum yearly revenue of goat feed = (4.26 x 10^3 kg/week) * ($0.26/kg) * 52 weeks = $57,739.20.