Algal Diversity Flashcards
Why are algae important?
As much NPP as land, Base of marine food web, role in cycling elements, locking away carbon
Marine microalgae applications
Industrial: biofuel, fatty acids, pigments…
Marine microalgae problems
Toxic
places where macroalgae can grow
Attached to rocks, coastal, free-floating
Microalgae size range
0.5 micrometer - > 1000 micrometer
Microalgae life styles
Autotrophic, mixotrophic, heterotrophic
Autotroph
An autotroph is an organism that can convert abiotic sources of energy into energy stored in organic compounds,
Mixotrophic
photsynthesize like plants and hunt like animals
Heterotrophic
use organic carbon as food source
Planktonic microalgae are
phytoplankton
Femtoplankton 0.02-0.2 micrometer
Virioplankton
Picoplankton 0.2-2 micrometer
Bacterioplankton, phytoplankton
Nanoplankton 2-20 micrometer
Mycoplankton, phytoplankton
Microplankton 20-220 micrometer
Phytoplankton
Marine cyanobacteria size
Picoplankton, colony/chain nano/micro
Diatoms size
Nano, micro, colony/chain meso, macro
Haptophyceae size
Nano, colony/chain micro
Dinoflagellates size
Nano, micro
chl containing phytoplankton
Cyanobacteria, diatoms, mixoplankton
Grazers, protozooplankton: life style + which ones
mixoplankton, ciliates, dinoflagellates
Diatoms, latin name
Bacillariophyceae
Life style diatoms
Autotrophic
Diatom cell wall
Silicified
Productivity diatoms depends on
Silicic acid
Centric subgroup species
Mostly pelagic, Blooms in eutrophic systems, silicified cell walls, require silicic acid
Pennate subgroup species
Silicic acid cell walls, dominate benthic communities, have raphe
Raphe
Gliding movement by expulsion of gelatinous poly saccharides