Lecture 17: Protists in the environment Flashcards
what caused protists to diversify?
evolution of mitochondria as endosymbionts
what was the total fossil fuel output in 2020 from industry?
34 billion tonnes
what is the predicted CO2 output from industry in 2024?
41.8 billion tonnes
what percent of CO2 from human activities does the ocean abosrb?
50%
what organisms in the ocean sequester CO2?
protists and phytoplankton
what group are coccolithophores part of?
haptophyta
what are 2 structural features of coccolithophores?
- enclosed by calcareous plates called coccoliths
- contain 2 brown chloroplasts that surround the nucleus
how are coccolithophores produced?
bicarbonate iron ions are broken down in the coccolith vesicle to produce carbonate that mixes with calcium
what are the 3 functions of coccolithophores?
- protection
- energy production as free CO2
- added weight for sinking/buoyancy
where are coccolithophores found?
oligotrophic (low nutrient) environments
what might coccolithophores become due to ocean acidification?
a carbon sink
what are the dominant oxygen production organisms?
diatoms
where are diatoms found?
nutrient rich coastal waters
how are diatoms affected by ocean acidification?
resilient however may suffer if there is a loss of iron ions
what is unique about the dinoflagellates?
have 2 flagella
what do dinoflagellates cause?
red tides that can produce toxic compounds that poison shellfish
what causes dinoflagellates to be bioluminescent?
dinoflagellate luciferase
which genus of dinoflagellate becomes a coral symbiont?
symbiodinium
what 4 groups of protist are found in the ocean?
- coccolithophores
- diatoms
- dinoflagellates
- phaeophyta
what are the phaeophyta also known as?
brown sea weeds
