1. Marine Producers

2. Phytoplankton Phyto (plant) planktos (wandering)
Microscopic plants that live in the ocean
Over 10,000 species of phytoplankton
Foundation of the marine food chain
2/3 of all the photosynthesis that takes place is in the oceans

3. Diatoms Marine producers Are unicellular
Enclosed by cell walls made largely of silica
Aggregate into chains or star-like groups

4. Algae
Simple aquatic organisms
Eukaryotic
Photosynthetic

5. Photosynthesis vs. Respiration
Occurs in chloroplasts
Solar energy captured by chlorophyll
Oxygen by-product
Sunlight + CO2 + H2O ----> O2 + Sugars
Respiration
Occurs in mitochondria
Release of energy from breaking down sugars
Carried out by both autotrophs and heterotrophs
Sugars + O2 ----> CO2 + H2O + chemical energy

6. Macroalgae a.k.a. macrophytes
Popular name- seaweed
Multicellular
Eukaryotic
Lots of variation in structure and appearance
Three types of seaweed
Green algae
Brown algae
Red algae

7. General Structure No true leaves, stems, or roots
Thallus- Body structure
Blades- leaf like structure
Main photosynthetic regions
Pneumatocysts
Gas filled bladders which help keep blades near sea surface maximizing exposure to sun
Stipe
Stem-like structure which provides support
Holdfast
Root-like structure which attaches thallus to the bottom
Do not penetrate through the sand or mud
Do not play a significant role in absorption of water and nutrients

8. Macroalgae Structure

9. Chlorophyta- Green algae
Occur in both Freshwater and Marine environments
Bright green in color because chlorophyll is not masked by other pigments
Ulva- Sea lettuce
Codium fragile- Dead man’s fingers
Over 8,000 species
90% are freshwater / 10% saltwater

10. Genus Ulva- Sea Lettuce
Kingdom: Protista Phylum: Chlorophyta Class: Ulvophyceae Order: Ulvales Family: Ulvaceae Genus: Ulva Species: Lactuca
Ulva Lactuca

11. Codium fragile- Dead man’s fingers
Kingdom: Protista
Division: Chlorophyta Class: Bryopsidophyceae Order: Codiales Family: Codiaceae Genus: Codium
species: fragile

12. Phaeophyta- Brown Algae
1500 species
Predominantly marine
Range in color from olive to dark
Common in rocky shores
Brown due to yellow-brown pigments
Fucoxanthin
Pigment in brown algae that dominates over chlorophyll

13. Phaeophyta Rockweeds and Kelps
Kelp forests play an important role in marine ecology by providing food and shelter for marine organisms
Some species grow very large
Nereocystis- Bull Kelp’s stipe can be up to 30 meters long
Macrocystis- Stipes can be up to 100 meters long
These giant kelp are estimated to grow 50cm per day!!!!

14. Phaeophyta
Kelp Forest Temperate Rain Forest

15. Rhodophyta: Red Algae More species than of other two types
Only a few fresh water species
Red pigments: phycobilins
These pigments mask chlorophyll
Common in rocky shorelines
Coralline Algae
These species deposit calcium carbonate within their cell walls
Are actively involved in the formation of coral reefs

16. Rhodophyta

17. Reproduction In Algae Asexual reproduction is common
Vegetative reproduction
Fragments of thallus can grow into new organisms
Some reproduce by spores which disperse to new locations
Sexual reproduction
Production of gametes
Spores and Gametes are produced by meiosis

18. Economic Importance Used as a food sources in China, Japan, and Korea
Used as fertilizers, and in animal feeds
Phycocolloids are used in food processing for their ability to form viscous suspensions
Algin- a phycocolloid that is used in ice cream, cheese, and baked goods. Also used in shampoos, paints, and cosmetics
Carrageenan- used as an emulsifier. Gives body to dairy products and pudding
Agar- Used to form jellies as a thickening agent. Also used as a medium to grow bacteria and molds.

19. Marine Flowering Plants
Kingdom Plantae
Angiosperms: aka flowering plants
Dominant land plants
Few species live in marine environments
Have true roots, stems, and leaves
All have flower as dominant reproductive organ

20. Seagrasses Resemble grasses, but are not grasses at all
Pollen for reproduction is carried by water currents
Eelgrass
50-60 species
Found in shallow coastal waters
Have ribbon-like leaves
Common in oxygen poor sediments

21. Turtlegrass
Eelgrass

22. Salt-Marsh Plants Cordgrasses Live on land, but are salt tolerant
Not completely submerged
Become submerged during high tidal periods

23. Mangroves Trees and shrubs living on tropical shores
Land plants that tolerate salt
Grow in mud bottom estuaries, and coastal lagoons
Arched roots trap sediment and cause more land to build up expanding the colony toward the sea

24. Red Mangrove