1. Plankton

2. Where does the word “plankton” come from?
The word plankton comes from the Greek word planktos, which means ‘wandering’ or ‘drifting’.

3. Plankton
Net

4. Marine life 3 categories:
Benthos: bottom dwellers; sponges, crabs
Nekton: strong swimmers- whales, fish, squid
Plankton: animal/plants that drift in water. The have little control over their movement.
Includes: diatoms, dinoflagellates, larvae, jellyfish, bacteria.

5. Taxonomy
Zooplankton
Phytoplankton

6. © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
Types of Plankton
Most biomass on Earth consists of plankton.
Phytoplankton
Autotrophic
Zooplankton
Heterotrophic
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

7. What physical factors are plankton subject to?
Waves
Tides
Currents

8. Plankton classified by:
Size
Habitat
Taxonomy

9. Size: Picoplankton (.2-2 µm) bacterioplankton
Nanoplankton ( µm) protozoans
Microplankton ( µm) diatoms, eggs, larvae
Macroplankton (200-2,000 µm) some eggs, juvenile fish
Megaplankton (> 2,000 µm) includes jellyfish, ctenophores, Mola mola

10. Size
Distribution

12. Habitat: Holoplankton- spends entire lifecycle as plankton
Ex. Jellyfish, diatoms, copepods
Meroplankton- spend part of lifecycle as plankton
Ex. fish and crab larvae, eggs
lobster
snail
fish

13. Life cycle of a squid
Squid experience benthic, planktonic, and nektonic stages
Squid are considered meroplankton (opposite = holoplankton)

14. Importance of Phytoplankton
Phytoplankton is the base of the food chain.
Phytoplankton population decline causes zooplankton and apex predators to decline .

15. Blooms: High nutrients Upwelling Seasonal conditions
Phytoplankton- restricted to the euphotic zone where light is available for photosynthesis.
Blooms:
High nutrients
Upwelling
Seasonal conditions

16. Photosynthesis primer
Recall from biology that autotrophs (aka primary producers) like plants or algae create carbohydrates (usable energy) from light through photosynthesis:
CO2 + H2O  C6H12O6 (carbohydrate) + O2(oxygen)
This energy supplies entire food webs as organisms are eaten up the food chain
Teacher’s Note: The diagram depicts autotrophs, also known as primary producers, converting light energy from the sun into carbohydrates (sugars) through photosynthesis. Heterotrophs cannot generate energy from solar or chemical sources, but must consume primary producers (and other heterotrophs) for energy. In this way, primary producers drive the food web.
Heterotrophs
(consumers)
Autotrophs
(primary
producers)
Sun
Plant/animal energy sources (carbohydrates)
Solar energy

17. Some important types of phytoplankton
Diatoms: temperate and polar waters, silica case or shell
Dinoflagellates: tropical and subtropical waters.... also summer in temperate
Coccolithophores: tropical, calcium carbonate shells or "tests"
Silicoflagellates: silica internal skeleton... found world wide, particularly in Antarctic
Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae): not true algae, often in brackish nearshore waters and warm water gyres
Green Algae: not common except in lagoons and estuaries
Some important types of phytoplankton
Diatoms: Phylum Chrysophyta Dominant in temperate and polar waters Silica case or shell looks like a "pill box“; Found singly or in chains; Planktonic forms are radially symmetrical
Can reproduce very quickly, up to 6x/day via asexual reproduction (also have sexual reproduction)
Dinoflagellates
Dominant in tropical and subtropical waters.... also summer in temperate areas they have two flagella and a shell of cellulose plates (called theca)
Asexual reproduction and fast population growth can lead to "red tides"
They secrete a neurotoxin called saxitoxin: bioaccumulates in shell fish and other filter feeders... can be fatal
Coccolithophores
Tropical... often very common Calcium carbonate shells or "tests"
Their skeletons make important depositional structures, but "naked" forms are not preserved
Silicoflagellates: Biflagellated, silica internal skeleton... found world wide, particularly in Antarctic Cyanobacteria: "Blue-green algae" but not true algae: often in brackish nearshore waters and warm water gyres these bacteria can fix gaseous nitrogen into NH4
Green Algae
Not common except in lagoons and estuaries... often associated with coastal pollution Cryptomonad Flagellates: have chlorophyll a and c... adapted for turbid waters

18. Mixed Diatoms
Phytoplankton common in nutrient rich temperate, polar, coast and open ocean
Important oxygen producer
Occur as a single cell or in chains
Covered in shells made of silica
Beautiful marine diatoms as seen through a microscope.
Image ID: corp2365, NOAA At The Ends of the Earth Collection Photographer: Dr. Neil Sullivan, University of Southern Calif.

19. Diatom
(chain) diatom

21. Figure 3.11: Cells in a chain of Stephanopyxis
Courtesy of Kohki Itoh

22. Dinoflagellates Unicellular, phytoplankton
Most have a cell wall (theca) with plates of cellulose with spines and pores
May form blooms that color the water “Red Tides” or Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)
Produce bioluminescence (light)
Some dinoflagellates live in symbiotic relationships with corals, giant clams, sea anemones.
Source: NOAA

23. Figure 13. 4: Dinoflagellates
Figure 13.4: Dinoflagellates. (a) Two representatives of the genus Ceratium, a common dinoflagellate. Two flagella beat in opposing grooves in the armor-plated body: One groove is visible at the equator of the upper cell, between the two “horns.” These specimens are about 0.5 millimeter (0.02 inch) across.
Dinoflagellates

24. Ceratium
A Dinoflaggelate
“Phytoplankton”

25. Fnft: SEM of Gonyaulax polygramma

26. Fnft: SEM of Ceratochoris horrida
© CSIRO Marine Research

27. Some important types of zooplankton
Crustaceans: Copepods
Krill
Cladocera
Mysids
Ostracods
Jellies
Cniderian (True jellies, Man-of-wars,
By-the-wind-sailors)
Ctenophores (comb jellies)
Urochordates (salps and larvacea)
Worms (Arrow worms, polychaetes)
Pteropods (planktonic snails)

28. Importance of krill in Antarctic food web

29. Chaetognath
Copepod
Crab larvae
jellies

30. Fish Larvae Coastal waters are rich in meroplankton
(temporary members of the plankton)
Nearly all marine fish have planktonic larvae
Fish larvae may change from herbivores to carnivores as they grow
Zooplankton. Fish larvae. Image ID: fish3363, NOAA's Fisheries Collection Photographer: Matt Wilson/Jay Clark, NOAA NMFS AFSC

31. Fish larvae
Queen Trigger fish Egg to Juv.

32. tunicate
Jelly-like house
Oikopleura
Marine snow

33. Lobster Larvae

34. Anemone Larva & Adult

35. Sea Cucumber Larva & Adult

36. Brittle Star Larvae & Adult

37. Cone Shell Larvae & Adult

38. Octopus Larvae & Adult
Temporary members of the plankton, octopus and squid become nektonic (free swimming) and benthic (crawling)
Giant squid are the largest invertebrates in the ocean

39. Octopus Larva
Zooplankton. Octopus larva. Image ID: fish3612, NOAA's Fisheries Collection Photographer: Matt Wilson/Jay Clark, NOAA NMFS AFSC

40. Starfish Larvae & Adult

41. Amphipod Simple crustacean with jointed exoskeleton
Use enlarged first antenna to swim
Among the most common animals on Earth (most abundant of the net zooplankton)
Zooplankton- hyperid amphipod
(Thermisto pacifica)
Image ID: fish3229, NOAA's Fisheries Collection Photographer: Matt Wilson/Jay Clark, NOAA NMFS AFSC

42. Copepod with Eggs
Bristly appendages act as paddles and create water currents that draw individual phytoplankton cells close to feed on
Many feed on zooplankton using claw like appendages to grab prey
Eggs are attached to the tail
Zooplankton. Copepod with eggs. Image ID: fish3261, NOAA's Fisheries Collection Photographer: Matt Wilson/Jay Clark, NOAA NMFS AFSC

43. Copepods
Although usually found near the surface plankton may also be collected at all depths even over hydrothermal vents in the deep sea
Pacific Ring of Fire Expedition. Some common zooplankton (mostly copepods) collected near the surface over East Diamante volcano. Image ID: expl0102, Voyage To Inner Space - Exploring the Seas With NOAA Collect Location: Mariana Arc region, Western Pacific Ocean Photo Date: 2004 April Credit: Pacific Ring of Fire 2004 Expedition. NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration; Dr. Bob Embley, NOAA PMEL, Chief Scientist

44. Crab Larva
Some invertebrates have a whole series of different larval stages
Charleston Bump Expedition. Zooplankton. Crab larva. Image ID: expl0215, Voyage To Inner Space - Exploring the Seas With NOAA Collect Location: Southeast of Charleston, South Carolina Photo Date: 2003 August 10 Photographer: Jerry Mclelland Credit: Charleston Bump Expedition NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration; Dr. George Sedberry, South Carolina DNR, Principal Investigator

45. Krill
Not as abundant as copepods they aggregate into huge, dense schools
Prefer colder polar waters
Feed on diatoms and solid wastes of other zooplankton
Important food for whales
Tread water to stay afloat
Krill Image ID: sanc0126, NOAA's Sanctuaries Collection Location: Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Photographer: Jamie Hall

46. Moon Jelly Gelatinous zooplankton
Common in temperate and tropical waters
Stinging cells are not toxic and don’t sting like other jellyfish
95% water but serve as food for many animals including turtles
Feed by producing a sticky mucus that traps other plankton
Reproduce sexually and asexually
Image ID: reef2547, NOAA's Coral Kingdom Collection Photographer: Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Staff Credit: Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (moon jelly)