Solar energy capture and transformation in the sea

Solar energy ultimately drives all biogeochemical cycles and sustains planetary habitability. All life forms and processes on Earth, including human economic and social systems, exist within a complex network of energy flow. In the sea, microorganisms comprise most of the genetic and metabolic diversity, and are responsible for a majority of the system energy flow including solar energy capture, transformation, and dissipation. All of these processes involve conversion of low quality forms of energy into a smaller fraction of higher quality energy plus degraded heat, in accordance with the basic laws of thermodynamics. Energy flow is at the core of ecosystem analysis (Odum 1968).