Perspectives on Phytoplankton
There are thousands of different types of
phytoplankton living as deep into the sea as the sunlight will reach naturally. Scientists are reluctant to estimate exactly how many species of phytoplankton there are because new ones are being discovered on a
regular basis. With the advanced microscopes now available and with new technologies researchers can photograph all spectrums and varieties of these single-cell organisms in the classification of prokaryote meaning without
nucleus. Phytoplankton not only live near the surface waters zone but also dwell on the sea shore and in the muck or on coral reefs inhabited by the zooxanthellae, and actually help formulate the underlying basis for petroleum or crude
oil. Amazingly enough Phytoplankton have both plant and animal biological characteristics or traits. They live as individuals, in colonies, or in multiorganism partnerships. Most species float or move gradually about in close proximity, however some
connect themselves to seaweeds to keep from sinking. Large layers of dead phytoplankton on the ocean floor can also form the basis for sedimentary rocks known as limestone. An algal bloom occurs when combining sunlight, nutrients, nitrogen, and phosphorous in a single
transformation process. Phytoplankter contain a chemical called chlorophyll that captures the sun rays and then produces starches, foods, sugars, and oxygen for humans and living things. In one method or another phytoplankton are a
foundational subsistence source for all living organisms in the sea. The whales, smaller fishes, and birds of the sea eat zooplankton which directly consume the phytoplankton. Phytoplankton even grow in large quantities under the frigid ice near the Antarctic
continent and become food sources for seals, penguins, and krill.
 Types of Phytoplankton And Physical
Attributes of Phytoplankton
Many phytoplankton free-float in ocean currents and others such as the Dinoflagellates have tails that they lash with tiny hairs known as flagella that propel them through the churning sea water.
The Dinoflagellates are unique with two whip-like tails. The name comes from the Latin terms: dinos for rotation and
flagellum for little whip. The Diatoms can form into circles, spirals, or into long chains near the surface and may have sharp spines. The diatom's rigid cellular wall exoskeleton known as frustule consists of silica which is the same
substance used to make glass. These diatoms produce the photosynthetic pigment fucoxanthin, a carotenoid which is reported to contain biological mechanisms appearing to support health in humans by stimulating the UCP1
protein and stimulating the liver in the production of a type of omega-3 fatty acid known as DHA. Another abundant phytoplankton group are the really tiny Coccolithophorids being less than one-thousandth of an inch across.
Phytoplankton are classified not based upon their shape or structure but according to the pigment they contain and they all contain chlorophyll in tiny units called chloroplasts. Phytoplankton have evolved and devised the most interesting
ways to buoy themselves including parachute shapes to increase resistance in water, hairs or spikes to increase water drag, and air pockets in their skeletons. Scientists use many types of microscopes to study this micro algae phenomenon including
electron and flow cytometer microscopes. The Atlantic Ocean near the state of Maine in a treasure trove of plankton which is studied by the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences which has identified more than seventeen hundred types
of phytoplankter and is the largest global repository. Micro Algae range from single-celled to multicellular structures having unique chloroplast organelles with the function of producing sugars by absorbing sunlight in the
process of photosynthesis
Bioluminescence and the Seasonality of Climactic
Zones
Phytoplankton absorb light from the surface ozone layers and therefore the oceans may give off less light (bioluminescence) during algal blooms. Bioluminescence or water shining flashes of light, which is a
chemical form of light and glowing, is caused in a daily occurrence by the group dinoflagellates. After using up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in their bodily processes the spent algal residue falls to the
ocean bottom in the form of carbon. In the process as carbon fixing organisms they turn water and carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) into sugar using sunlight and also produce chemicals that affect the formation of clouds.
Phytoplankton vary both from ocean to ocean and with the time of year. In tropical waters with constant sea surface temperatures and plenty of sunshine the production remains highly consistent. In contrast, in the Southern
and Northern Hemispheres these tiny plants can thrive only in the warmer months of the year and are more or less dormant in cold cloudy seasons. In either case the
topmost layer of the ocean called the epipelagic zone is the richest portion for nutrients and the most productive for plankton.
The epipelagic zone is the shallowest zone layer and extends from the sea surface down to about 330-550 ft.
Note: A Large Whale Meal Could Represent Diatoms In large natural Quantities In Excess Of Four Hundred Billion!
Reference Cerullo condensed information from book text et al.
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