Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: _____________ Pd: _____
Phytoplankton Webquest
DAY 1 - Website #1: Go to http://www.cencoos.org/learn/blooms
Click on the subheading “What are phytoplankton?”
1. What are phytoplankton? _____________________________________________
2. Are they harmful? _________________________________________________
3. Where do they live? __________________________________________________
Click on the subheading “What Causes Algal Blooms?”
4. What are algal blooms? _______________________________________________
5. What do they need to bloom? ___________________________________________
6. What occurs in the early spring to fall in Northern California that causes blooms?
__________________________________________________________________
7. What is this “phenomenon” called? __________________________
8. What does “overfeeding” mean? _________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
9. What is this effect called? ___________________________
Click on the subheading “How Can Algal Blooms be Harmful?”
10. How many known species of phytoplankton are there? _____________
11. What are the two ways that Harmful Algal Blooms cause harm?
a. ________________________________________________________________
b. ________________________________________________________________
12. List 3 ways HABs can affect the ecosystem they inhabit.
a. ________________________________________________________________
b. ________________________________________________________________
c. ________________________________________________________________
Website #2: Go to http://www.cencoos.org/learn/blooms/barefacts
13. What is the difference between macro and micro algae?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: _____________ Pd: _____
Phytoplankton Webquest
14. Complete the following table:
Diatoms (Click on link)
Dinoflagellates (Click on link)
Autotroph/Heterotroph? Both?
Cell Size?
Cell Wall Structure?
Contain chloroplasts?
Photopigments?
Reproduction
Ecological Roles
Common genera (genus)
15. When you are on the dinoflagellate page, click on “toxicity.” Answer the following questions:
(5pts)
a. What is the name of the potent neurotoxin release by Gonyalaux? __________________
b. What type of poisoning does this toxin causes? _______________________________
c. What are the symptoms of this poisoning? __________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
d. List 2 interesting facts about this toxin:
1. ___________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________
16. Click the back button, what is the role of phytoplankton?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: _____________ Pd: _____
Phytoplankton Webquest
Website #3 Click on http://www.cencoos.org/learn/blooms/types
17. Why is the term “red tide” a misnomer? ______________________________
____________________________________________________________
18. Differentiate between the 3 types of algal blooms:
Color Tide
Caused by what species?
One Fact
Red Tide
Green Tide
Brown Tide
19. What are the 4 primary environmental factors needed for a bloom to occur?
a. __________________________________________________________
b. __________________________________________________________
c. __________________________________________________________
d. __________________________________________________________
20. Are all visible algal blooms toxic? ____
Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: _____________ Pd: _____
Phytoplankton Webquest
DAY 2: Use the NASA Observatory Web
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/site to find answers to the following:
Use the “feature article” icon to locate the following articles on earthobservatory:
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Phytoplankton/
“What are Phytoplankton?”
21. What is the Greek meaning of phytoplankton?
_____________________________________________________________
22. Draw the most common forms of phytoplankton, IN DETAIL!! (2 pts each)
Cyanobacteria
Diatom
Dinoflagellate
Green Algae
Coccolithophore
23. Scroll down to the Importance of Phytoplankton. Click on the “Aquatic Food Web”.
Choose 5 organisms, and create a food chain below: (5 pts)
24. Click the back button, what causes a “dead zone”?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
25. What is the “biological carbon pump” and how much does it pump? ___________
____________________________________________________________
26. Look at the satellite pictures. How has El Nino influenced phytoplankton?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
27. Scroll down to “Long-Term Changes in Phytoplankton”. What is causing the water
to be “stratified”? What does this mean and what effects do it have on plankton
populations?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: _____________ Pd: _____
Phytoplankton Webquest
B. “Hunting dangerous algae from space” http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Redtide/
28. What are algal blooms and what causes them? (describe the satellite photos)
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
29. Describe at least 4 effects these blooms may have on people or the environment.(4pt)
a. ___________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________
d. ___________________________________________________________
C. “The Incredible Glowing Algae” http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/glowingalgae/
30. What does recent technology enable scientists to observe about the algae?
_____________________________________________________________
31. What is primary productivity?
_____________________________________________________________
32. How does chlorophyll absorption affect the satellite images?
_____________________________________________________________
33. Give 3 reasons why monitoring fluorescence is beneficial to scientists?
_____________________________________________________________
D. Go to “The North Atlantic Bloom”
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=7830
34. What gives the water the electric blue color?____________________________
_____________________________________________________________
35. What gives the water a deep green hue?
________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
36. What 2 countries are sandwiching this blooms?
__________________________ and ______________________________
E. On the homepage for this website, under “Image of Today” search for “Plankton Bloom in
Lake Titicaca” or click http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=4843
37. Why is Lake Titicaca prone to plankton blooms?
_____________________________________________________________
38. Observe and describe the satellite photographs.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: _____________ Pd: _____
Phytoplankton Webquest
PART 2: Red tides and Harmful Algae
Use the website: http://www.whoi.edu/redtide/page.do?pid=9257
A. Using the pictures in red at the top left under “species”, choose 3 species (click on it): identify
their scientific names and what health effects they cause.
39. Species #1:
Scientific Name - ____________________________________
Syndrome - _______________________________________________
40. Species #2: Scientific Name - __________________________________________
Syndrome - ____________________________________________
41. Species #3: Scientific Name - _________________________________________
Syndrome - ____________________________________________
42. Under “regions,” identify 4 places where visible phytoplankton blooms have occurred in this
country. (4 pts)
1. _____________________________________
2. _____________________________________
3. _____________________________________
4. _____________________________________
43. Under the Species tab, click “Life Cycle.” Draw the life cycle of a dinoflagellate in the box
below. Click on the numbers to get an explanation of what is happening at each stage and
briefly describe it in your image. (5 pts)
44. Under Impacts tab, click on “Wildlife”. Describe 2 events where marine life were affected by
HABS.
1. ________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________