MARINE BIOLOGYProducers in the Oceans

Can be done with Photosynthesis OR Chemosynthesis

Most are in Kingdom Protista Some are in Kingdom Plantae

Autotrophs- make their own organic compounds

Mangrove Trees

Marine Plants

Sea Grasses

Any organism that is not a plant, an animal, a fungus, or a prokaryote.

Classified by how they obtain nutrition. Animallike Plantlike Funguslike

We are focusing on the Plant-like protists

Protists (Kingdom Protista)

Unicellular algae photosynthetic pigments Classify by the type of pigments they

contain (green, brown, or red-chloroplasts)

Plantlike Protist

Diatoms unicellular frustule – glassy

shell The frustules

contain silica which cannot decompose

Yellow/brown- carotenoid pigments

Cold water primary producers

Dinoflagellates Unicellular w/ 2

flagella 50%

photosynthetic 50% heterotrophs Cell wall protected

by plates made of cellulose

Many are bioluminescent

Flashlight fish

Bioluminescence

Photosynthetic, But many can also ingest food particles.

Reproduce asexually

Can cause Algae Blooms called Red Tide

Dinoflagellates

Red Tide During a “bloom” of

dinoflagellates the numbers are so great that it turns the water red.

Some species will release a toxin that effects the nervous systems of fish called…

PSP is caused by a dinoflagellate species that produces a toxin that is taken up by mollusks.

The mollusks are not harmed When the human eats the mollusks the

toxin can cause paralysis or death

Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning

Photosynthetic brown dinoflagellates that provide food for their host organism (symbiotic with reef corals)

The host provides carbon dioxide and shelter.

Examples of host organisms: jellyfish, coral, and mollusks.

Zooxanthellae

Euglenophytes Photosynthetic like

plants, but have animal like cells

They use two flagella for movement

Do not have a cell wall Do have a cell

membrane called a pellicle

Finds sunlight by the use of eyespot

Chrysophytes Plantlike protists that contain gold

colored chloroplasts. Reproduce asexually and sexually Example: Yellow green algae Star-shaped internal silica skeleton

Multicellular Plantlike Protists

Red, Brown, and Green Algae

Phylum Rhodophyta Largest group of seaweeds Chlorophyll a and Phycobilins- red pigment Most multicellular

Example on previous page: Chondrus crispus- Irish moss

Red Algae

Giant Kelp

Phylum Phaeophyta Largest and most complex seaweeds Chlorophyll a and c, Fucoxanthin-

yellow/brown pigment Multicellular Structure on previous page

◦ Holdfast, Stipe, Blades, Bladders Examples:

◦ Rockweed◦ Sargassum◦ Kelp

Brown Algae

Kelp

                                               

                            

Kelp

Rockweed

Rockweed

Phylum Chlorophyta Cellulose in their cell walls Chlorophyll a & b Stores food as starch

Green Algae

Unicellular Green Algae Ex. Chlamydomonas

Lives in both salt and fresh water

When you see a fish tank or body of water with distinctly green water, an organism like this is present in large numbers

Sea lettuce- UlvaMulticellular green algae

Common in Norwalk portion of L.I.S.

Human uses of algae:

More than you know!!

ALSO almost ALL brands of Salad dressingYogurtToothpaste

(often used as a thickener when we want something to have a “gel” texture)