Phytoplankton and Chlorophyll
(Chlorophyll? How about Borophyll?!)
By: Kate Hilfanski And Don Maryfiker
What is chlorophyll?
• Photosynthetic pigment found in most
plants
• Able to absorb light and transfer to light
energy
• Chlorophyll a found in all algae!!
A Little Bit About Phytoplankton
• Can be unicellular or multicellular
– Very little division of labor
• reproduction can be sexual or asexual
• Primary producers
– food for herbivorous zooplankton (if not toxic)
chlamydomonas
Volvox
Chrysophyta
•
•
(Golden algae and Diatoms)
Are eukaryotic
Has pigments chlorophylls a and c and carotenoids
– Two Class:
• Golden Algae
Ex. Mallomonas
• Diatoms
-Have frustules made of silica
ex.. Fragillaria, Asterionella , and
Tabellaria
Cyanophyta
(blue-green algae)
• Only prokaryotic algae
• Has chlorophyll a and phycobilins
(phycocyanin -blue-green color
pigments)
• Some are nitrogen fixers
– contain a heterocysts N2 fixation occurs
Some are toxic
• Examples of members of Cyanophyta:
Anabaena or Microcystis
Chlorophyta
(green algae)
• Are eukaryotic
• Have chlorophyll a and chlorophyll
b pigments
• It is believed they are the
ancestors of higher plants
Examples:
Spirogyra, Pediastrum, and Volvox
Pyrrophyta (dinoflagellates)
• Are also eukaryotic
• Have chlorophylls a
and c and
xanthophylls pigments
Example:
Ceratium
Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll (m icrogram s/L)
-2
3
8
13
18
23
28
33
38
43
0
5
10
15
Depth (m)
20
Arbutus
Catlin
25
Green
Oneida
Onondaga
30
35
40
45
50
Wolf
Phytoplankton Distribution in
Arbutus Lake
Phtoplankton Distribution in Arbutus Lake (EPI)
Phytoplankton Distribution in Arbutus Lake
(META)
8
7
8
6
7
5
4
3
6
Stynura
Mallamonas
Microcystis
5
4
Dinobryon
3
2
2
1
1
0
0
Chlamydomonas
Phytoplankton Distribution in Catlin
Lake
Phytoplankton Distribution in Catlin Lake (EPI)
Phtoplankton Distribution in Catlin Lake (META)
6
6
5
5
Tabellaria
4
4
Asterionella
Large round Green algae
3
Tabellaria
Asterionella
Large round Green algae
3
Pleodorina
Staurastrum
Ceratium
2
2
Pediastrum
1
1
0
0
Phytoplankton Distribution in Catlin Lake
(HYPO)
6
5
4
Tabellaria
3
Asterionella
Large round Green algae
2
1
0
Phytoplankton Distribution in Green
Lake
Phytoplankton Distribution in CHEMO layer of Green Lake
•There were many
cyanobacteria but only one
synura in the Chemo layer
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Synura
Cyanobacteria
•Phytoplankton was not
found in the other layers
Phytoplankton Distribution in
Oneida Lake
phytoplankton Distribution in Oneida Lake (META)
Phytoplankton distribution in Oneida Lake (EPI)
95
90
85
80
75
70
65
60
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Aulacosira
microcystis
small flagellates
Phytoplankton Distribution in Oneida Lake (HYPO)
95
90
85
80
75
70
65
60
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
95
90
85
80
75
70
65
60
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
aulacosira
microcystis
mallanomous
small flagellates
• Aulacosira dominated meta and
hypo but small flagellates
dominated the epi
Aulacosira
Acinastrum
microcystis
Phytoplankton Distribution in
Onondaga Lake
Phytoplankton Distribution in Onondaga
Lake (EPI)
120
120
Phytoplankton Distribution in Onondaga
Lake (META)
100
100
80
80
LGRB
Microcystis
60
Microcystis
60
Bacillariophyceae
Chrysophaceae
20
Bacillariophyceae
Chlamydomonas
Chlamydomonas
40
LGRB
40
Chrysophaceae
20
0
0
Phytoplankton distribution in Onondaga
(HYPO)
120
100
80
LGRB
Microcystis
60
Bacillariophyceae
Chlamydomonas
40
20
0
Chrysophaceae
Microcystis dominated all layers.
LGRB was found along with microcystis in
all layers
Catlin Lake
A comparison of divisions
Arbutus Lake
A Comparison of Divisions
Chlorophyata
Chrysophyta
Chrysophyta
Dinoflagellata
chlorophyta
Chlorophyata
Dinoflagellata
Oneida Lake
A comparison of divisions
Chrysophyta
Chrystophyta
chlorophyta
Chrysophyta
Chlorophyta
Chlorophyta
Cyanophyta
Dinoflagellata
Cyanophyta
Green Lake
A comparison of divisions
Chrysophyta
Chrystophyta
Onondaga Lake
A comparison of divisions
Dinoflagellata
Chrysophyta
Chrysophyta
Dinoflagellata
cyanobacteria
Chlorophyta
Chlorophyta
Cyanophyta
Dinoflagellata
Cyanophyta
cyanobacteria
Chrystophyta