~Dissolved oxygen is required by all aquatic life.
~Chlorophyll, a plant pigment, is measured to indicate the amount of algae in the water.
~Nitrogen and phosphorous are nutrients that can contribute to undesirable levels of algae.
~Benthic invertebrates, animals that live on the bottom of water bodies, are an important source of food for fish, shrimp and crabs.
Georgia's overall coastal habitats were rated and the results can be seen in the bar graph. Benthic organisms are an important link in an aquatic food chain. What is the expected correlation between the benthic index and chlorophyll a?
A) There is no correlation between benthic organisms and chlorophyll a. One group is plant-based; the other is animal-based.
B) There is a direct correlation between algae present and benthic organisms. The more algae, the more benthic invertebrates.
C) As benthic organisms decrease we would expect chlorophyll a to also decrease. There is a direct relationship between the two in the graph.
D) As chlorophyll a increases, we would expect dissolved oxygen to decrease and because benthic organisms are animals, they too would decrease.
