Question

The pyramid of biomass in the sea is generally inverted. Explain.

Answer 1

The pyramid of biomass in the sea is generally inverted because the biomass of fish (consumers) far exceeds that of phytoplankton (producers). It happens because phytoplankton have very short life spans and are consumed almost as quickly as they form, so their biomass at any given instant is low. In contrast, fish have longer life spans and accumulate more biomass, leading to an inverted biomass pyramid in aquatic ecosystems.