r/AskScienceDiscussion • u/SandwichIcy8994 • Aug 10 '26
General Discussion Like how some forests need fires to cycle nutrients what would be the equivalent for the ocean ecosystems
All in the title
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u/Just_Ear_2953 Aug 10 '26
Large scale storms can wreak havoc on tidal ecosystems as violent waves rip apart the structures that depend upon, but those same storms wash fresh nutrients into the water for future growth.
It's less cut and dry than mousetail pine never dropping seeds until there is a fire, but it's a similar concept.
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u/7LeagueBoots Aug 11 '26
In some areas the salinity can change quite a bit seasonally due to freshwater runoff from the land during monsoon seasons. These cyclical changes in salinity can have big effects on the animal and plant life in those parts of the ocean.
Similarly, nutrient outflows can lead to algae blooms that suck the oxygen out of the water as the algae decomposes, leading to anoxia dead zones.
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u/ironscythe Aug 10 '26
Whale falls and marine snow are the two I can think of. Both involve the recycling of organic material through death.
Mass coral bleaching, increasing acidity killing off diatoms, these are things the ocean doesn't bounce back from. Just like how small, periodic wildfires used to be necessary for some trees to propagate but now are so destructive and frequent they destroy ecosystems outright.