Phytoplankton and Zooplankton

2. Plankton "Primary Producers" "Primary Consumers" Phytoplankton and Zooplankton

3. PHYTOPLANKTON Pelagic environment is the largest marine ecosystem. More food, oxygen and biota (life) are here than anywhere else. Spirogyra The dominant organism in the neritic zone and oceanic zone is plankton. Plankton are organisms that can not make a forward motion against a current of at least 1 knot.

4. There are 2 types of plankton: phytoplankton & zooplankton. Volvox Phytoplankton are photosynthetic autotrophs, who begin all marine food webs. They produce 50-90% of all atmospheric oxygen, and are critical biomass. Meaning their production is critical to all other life in the ocean

5. They are adapted to a floating life style because of their: 1. Small size - diffusion is quick, frictional drag from large surface area to low volume ratio helps slow sinking 2. Structure - disks shaped or chains aid in floating • Low Density - light ions and lipid by-products of photosynthesis reduce density and aid floating • Remember lipids are “oil” and oil floats in water. .

6. Terms and Size Classes Meroplankton – Plankton for part Of their livese.g. crustacean, fish larvae Holoplankton – plankton for their entire lifee.g. diatoms, copepods, ctenophores

7. Megaplankton Macroplankton Mesoplankton Net Plankton Microplankton Nanoplankton “Microbial Loop” Picoplankton

8. Some Phytoplankton In Review

9. Phytoplankton Diatoms Silicon dioxide glass “pill boxes” (single & chains) Dominate coastal waters (cold waters) Planktonic & benthic Coscinodiscus Chaetoceros Dinoflagellates No external skeleton of silicon Mostly solitary (chains rare) Photosynthetic, parasitic, grazer, symbiotic Proportions increase offshore; blooms Ceratium Peridinium Coccolithophores Tropical, pelagic CaC03 plates Coccolithus

10. Phytoplankton “blue-green algae” dominate brackish, nearshore waters often undergo nitrogen fixation N is converted to NH4+ Tricodesmuim unicellular and biflagellate chloroplasts, internal silica skeleton less abundant than diatoms high in Antarctic and open ocean Isochrisis true green algae rare in marine waters often dominate estuaries and lagoons Chlamydomonas colony

11. 0 of 25 The two main divisions of marine habitats are • Benthic and Abyssal • Neritic and Oceanic • Photic and Aphotic • Neritic and Benthic

12. 0 of 25 Organisms which cannot swim against a current of a least 1 knot are known as • Neckton • Plankton • Demersal • Benthic

13. 25 0 Phytoplankton use ______ to help them to float • Carbohydrates • Proteins • Glucose • Lipids

14. 0 of 25 Plankton are grouped by their • Shape • Weight • Color • Size

15. Fastest Responders (in seconds)

16. Fastest Responders (in seconds)

17. Zooplankton: The Primary Consumers

18. Homework p 312-314 • What percentage of photosynthesis is performed by Phytoplankton? • Outside of dinoflagellates what else can be a cause of red tides? • What group is considered the vital link between primary producers and the rest of the community? • Which type of Zooplankton is the most abundant? (Hint: they are crustaceans) • What are Krill and what do they eat?

19. ZOOPLANKTON USGS Zooplankton are the primary consumers, called heterotrophic herbivores, in food webs. They are the smallest and most numerous marine animals. Their population density depends on the availability of phytoplankton upon which they graze.

20. There are two groups of zooplankton: 1. Meroplankton - planktonic larvae who will become adult forms of fish, worms, Mollusks, and Crustaceans Crab Zoe The advantage of meroplanktonic lifestyle is reduced competition from adults for the same basic needs. However, predation is extremely high because of their size and lack of adaptability.

21. 2. Holoplankton - will remain plankton throughout life. They remain visible, but tiny. Adult Daphnia

22. Copepods (Phylum: Arthropoda) are 95% of all zooplankton. Others are krill, foraminifera and members of Kingdom Protista, Phylum Protozoa.

23. Zooplankton are grouped by the way they move - either by pseudopods like the amoeba (1), flagella like euglena (2) or by cilia as in paramecium (3). 1. 2. 3.

24. Vertical Migration And water column Stability

25. VERTICAL MIGRATION Vertical migration is a daily pattern of phytoplankton and zooplankton changing positions like a day and night shift. During the day phytoplankton produce lipids by photosynthesis. Because oils are less dense than water, the products of photosynthesis increase their buoyancy.

26. As the sun goes down, the phytoplankton use lipids for energy which causes them to sink in the water column. In response to the “rain” of phytoplankton descending, the zooplankton move up in the water column to graze on them. As the sun comes up, photosynthesis again causes more production than the organisms need at that time, the phytoplankton become lighter and begin to float upward.

27. The zooplankton begin their downward response to graze again and to take advantage of reduced visibility and less heat than at the surface. These two periods of grazing protect both populations, reduces predation and distributes stress in the ecosystem.

28. A “bloom” is an increase in population density of phytoplankton associated with high nutrient levels. It can be the result of upwelling or excessive nutrients. Upwelling is caused by winds and other atmospheric conditions that move surface water away from shore, pulling nutrient rich bottom water to the surface.

29. A change in winds direction blows surface water toward the land and prevents upwelling. Water is depleted of nutrients and fishing is poor. – an “El Nino” Event Wind Ocean Land No upwelling

30. Critical Depth Depth Photosynthetic Production

31. Critical Depth & Mixing Depth

32. Gulf of Mexico

33. Upwelling draws _________ rich water to the surface • Mineral • Oxygen • Nutrient • Energy

34. Zooplankton which is plankton for its entire life is called • Meroplankton • Holoplankton • Phytoplankton • Picoplankton

35. Zooplankton which is plankton for only the beginning of its life is called • Meroplankton • Cytoplankton • Holoplankton • Phytoplankton

36. Zooplankton are Primary • Consumers • Producers • Decomposers • Prey

37. Copepods make up _______ of all Zooplankton • 50% • 25% • 95% • 5%

38. Zooplankton are grouped by • Color • Size • Shape • The way they move

39. Phytoplankton use lipids at night for energy and float down the water column • True • False

40. Zooplankton float up at night to graze on phytoplankton • True • False

41. Fastest Responders (in seconds)

42. “I will rule the world! All hail Plankton! All hail Plankton!” - Plankton