[ana hernandez]

ana hernandez asked the Naked Scientists:
   
Why is upwelling an important process in the ocean's ecological balance?

What do you think?

[Dasyatis]

Upwelling is very important in bringing nutrients from the ocean floor up to the coastal zones, where a greater number of organisms can benefit. This also brings up very cold water, which create a fairly stable ecosystem (a good example being the kelp forests off the coast of California). Algae reap the biggest benefits from this. Kelp (a colonial alga) can grow tremendously in this type of environment, and it makes for a great foundation to a functional food web.