Plants

Algae

Plankton Ch. 14

Plankton = Wanderer (Greek)

• Suspended in water column

• Float or weakly swim with currents

• Can’t move against currents

• Producers & Consumers

PHYTOPLANKTON(PLANT PLANKTON)

•Autotrophs (primary producers)

•Make glucose (photosynthesis)

• >40% of global primary productivity

•Form base of ocean food web

•OXYGEN for all life

Types of Phytoplankton:

1. Diatoms (Silica “Glass” shell)

2. Dinoflagellates (Cellulose shell)

3. Coccolithophores (Calcium plates)

1. Diatoms

•Dominant & most productive

organism in world!

•55% of sun’s energy converted to

glucose

•Largely made of silica

glass-like

2. Dinoflagellates

•Most free-floating

•Some live in coral tissue

•Reproduce (up to 1X/day) by cell division

•Move by 2 flagella: adjust vertically in

water column (light, nutrients)

Peridiniumsp.

Dinophysissp.

Ceratium sp.

Bioluminescence

•Light produced by organismby a chemical reaction

•Most common at surface (Dinoflagellates)

•Energy released in this reaction occurs as light, NOT heat

→→→→Organism doesn’t overheat

NoctilucaNoctiluca sp.sp.

Why produce light?

•Luminescence triggered by predator disturbance

•Light distracts predator (zooplankton)

•Attracts secondary predator(eats zooplankton)

•Dinoflagellate –less likely to be eaten

“Predator” movement

triggers

Red Tides (Dinoflagellate Bloom)

•Phylum Pyrrophyta = “Fire Plant”

•Mass development of dinoflagellates

discolor water

•Often caused by

excess nutrients

•Enter ocean from

land (runoff)

•Fertilizer,

sewage

Red Tide Impacts:

•Toxic to marine life: accumulates in

clams, mussels, scallops, fish, mammals

•Death to some species, Human

poisoning after consumption (30 min.)

•Symptoms:

•Paralytic: paralysis, asthma, heart

attack (rare)

•Neurotoxic: tingling, paralysis,

memory loss

•Diarrhetic: cramps, vomiting, diarrhea

Fish Kills

Gonyaulax sp.

Red = HighGreen = ModeratePurple = Low

Cool, nutrient-rich water

Where are most

phytoplankton?

Zooplankton (Animal Plankton)

•Heterotrophic = Consumers

•Mostly eat phytoplankton, or other

zooplankton

•Most can move

•Spend whole life as plankton

OR

•Larval stage only

Annelid worm

Ribbon

worm

Radiolarian

Jelly

Snail

Fish

Copepod

Lobster

Holoplanton: Plankton for whole life

• Small, single-celled, many with shell

Foraminifera Ciliates

• Small, but NUMEROUS!

Most numerous animal on Planet!

Copepods =

70% of all

Zooplankton

Holoplanton: Plankton for whole life

Bell up to 3.5 m (12’)

Nematocysts: sting prey

•Big (Macroplankton), but still floaters

•Krill: ~5 cm (2”), Herbivores

•Numerous in Antarctica

•Eaten by: Whales, birds, seals, fish, squid

•Cnidarians (jellies): body parts

specialized

Feeding

Meroplankton: Temporary Plankton

• Early life as plankton (float)

–Larvae, eggs

–Rest of life: benthic, pelagicswimmers, intertidal

Crab

SquidSeastar

Fish egg & fry Sea Urchin

Octopus

Clam

Shrimp

Larger, Attached Marine Producers

1. Plants: Surface dwelling Angiosperms

•Reproduce with flowers & seeds

a.Sea “grasses”

•Pollen distributed

by H2O

•Roots help

uptake nutrients

→→→→ High productivity

Surf grass

Phyllospadix sp.

Eelgrass (Zostera sp.)

Shallow water of Bays & estuaries

Wave-swept subtidal

Larger, Attached Marine Producers

b. Mangroves c. Salt Marsh

Salt-tolerant trees Grasses & succulents

Tropical estuaries Salt tolerant

Temperate estuaries

Prop Roots

FlowerSeed

& Bays

Cordgrass Batismaritima

Larger, Attached Marine Producers

2. Algae (seaweed): 3 groups

•Only grow in Euphotic zone

•Flexible, covered in gelatinous

material

•Highly productive:

•Water, CO2, & nutrients readily

available

Sea

Lettuce

Enteromorpha sp.Dead Man’s Fingers

Codiumfragile

Green Algae

(Chlorophyta)

•Photosynthesis: No

accessory pigments

•Live at or near surface

•To depths: 10 m (33ft)

Red Algae (Rhodophyta)

•Surface & deeper water

•To 268m (879 ft)

•Accessory pigments aid photosynthesis

Calcium carbonate in tissues

Coralline algae

Encrusting

coralline

algae

protects from

grazers & wave action

Feather

BoaGiant Kelp (Macrocystis)

Holdfast

Brown Algae (Phaeophyta)

•Include Kelps (to 200 ft long)

•Grow in H2O to 115 ft deep

•Accessory pigments

•Quick growth (20”/day)

Kelp

Mangrove

Kelp Forests: Temperate & polar

latitudes (30° N & S to poles)

Mangroves: Tropical Latitudes