Water column (primary) production, the rate at which phytoplankton and other primary producers fix carbon through photosynthesis integrated over the depth of the water column, is conventionally expressed in units of milligrams of carbon fixed per square meter of sea surface per day (mgC per m^2 per day), the standard universal unit used in oceanographic productivity studies to allow comparison across different regions, seasons, and studies.
Primary (water column) productivity measurements integrate the rate of carbon fixation by photosynthetic organisms over the full depth of the euphotic zone beneath a unit...
Full option-by-option analysis available to enrolled students.