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Consider the following kinds of organisms

Consider the following kinds of organisms:
1. Copepods
2. Cyanobacteria
3. Diatoms
4. Foraminifera
Which of the above are primary producers in the food chains of oceans?

(a)

1 and 2

(b)

2 and 3

(c)

3 and 4

(d)

1 and 4

Answer:

(b)

Core Books/NCERT

Explanation

Cyanobacteria, also called blue-green algae, are microscopic organisms found naturally in all freshwater ecosystems. These single-celled organisms use sunlight to make their own food. They are said to be the primary producer as they produce food for higher levels of organisms. Hence, 2 is correct. Diatoms are a major group of algae, specifically microalgae, found in the oceans, waterways and soils of the world. They are one of the major primary producers in the ocean, responsible annually for ~20% of photosynthetically fixed CO2 on Earth. Hence, 3 is correct.