Dinoflagellates Research Paper

Moon Jellyfish are in the “Animalia Kingdom, Phylum Cnidarian, Class Scyphozoan, Order Semaeostomeae, Family Ulmaridae, and Genus Aurelia” ( Myers, 2016 ; Espinosa, ; 2016 ; Parr, 2016 ; Jones, 2026 ; Hammond, 2016 ; Dewey, 2016). The morphological description of Cnidarians are corals, sea anemones, jellyfish and hydroids. These cnidarians form a diverse phylum that contains ~9000 species, which live in aquatic (predominantly marine) environments. The phylum-defining trait of Cnidaria is the stinging cell, the nematocyte an extrusive organelle used for predation, adhesion and defense (Holstein, 1981; Lengfeld et al., 2009; Tardent and Holstein, 1982) (Steele and Technau; 2011). Also, this phylum, Cnidarians, are divided into two groups, “Anthozoa (sea anemones, corals and sea pens), which live as

Most reef-building corals contain photosynthetic algae, termed zooxanthellae, that live in their tissues. The corals and algae have a mutualistic association. The coral provides the algae a environment and compound

Coral reefs exist all over the world and are generally known as being one of the most diverse, intricate and beautiful of all existing marine habitats. They have many varying structures which are developed by algae and are symbiotic with various reef building corals which are referred to as, zooxanthellae (algae). There are many other factors such as, coralline algae, sponges and other various organisms that are combined with a number of cementation processes which also contribute to reef growth, (CORAL REEFS, 2015).

Since they do not contain a nucleus they would be in the prokaryotic domain. They would need to be from the kingdoms Bacteria Specifically Eubacteria. They use photosynthesis to produce their own food. This animal is most likely Prochlorococcus. This is the most abundant photosynthetic cell in the ocean. Another one is cyanobacteria or blue green algae, but they are prokaryotic unlike algae. They could be grouped by their shapes like cyanobacteria are spherical, rod, and spiral. They can also be grouped as photosynthetic since they have

Red tide is the common name for a large concentration of certain species of dinoflagellates. This event accumulates harmful algal blooms quickly, resulting in discoloration near the surface water. Dense enough algal blooms cause harmful toxins strong enough to affect people and the oceans ecosystem as a whole. Karenia brevis is the most troublesome species of dinoflagellate in the Gulf of Mexico. This species reproduces by asexual cell division, therefore, given the right conditions, the population can rapidly increase in size. K. brevis needs large amounts of the correct nutrients to reproduce at toxic speed. The nutrients responsible for supporting Florida's red tide are nitrogen and phosphorus.

It is a very common photosynthetic dinoflagellate found year round in the Gulf of Mexico. These dinoflagellates have two whip like appendages that enable them to propel themselves through the open water. K. brevis thrive in warm waters with high salinity. The Gulf of Mexico meets these conditions perfectly which is where there is such an abundance of K. brevis in the area. The region where K. brevis blooms the most is along the West Florida Shelf, extending from Key West all the way to the Panhandle coast in the North. In this region, there is discharge from several rivers and coastal upwelling will often occur (Li and Weisberg, 1999). The currents in this area are influenced by win and tides, and the Continental Shelf contributes to the circulation. This zone is a shallow ecosystem that has a wide variety of communities and sections. These include mangroves, seagrass banks, and coral barrier reeds. This area is very diverse and serves the economy in more ways than one. It is important for commercial fishing and for tourism. It is important that the water quality remains in good condition because it is in this area that the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and the Everglades National Park are located. Blooming season in these regions typically begins around August and will last all the way through to early Spring, around March. More than 80% of K. brevis blooms have taken place in

Bolton & Anderson (1990) found that the intertidal zones of the west coast (mean SST of 13°C) and the south coast (mean SST of 18°C) were comprised of different dominating species although the sites were less than 500 km apart. West of the cape, the sublittoral zones were dominated by Laminaria sp (including L. pallida and L. schinzii). The sublittoral zones of the southern portion of the cape were dominated by smaller species such as Zongaria subarticulata. The midlittoral zone for both the west and south were dominated by Gigartina spp., however, the dominate species of the south coast, G. pristoides, was not even present along the west coast (Bolton & Anderson, 1990). Gigartina stiriata and G.radula dominated the midlittoral zone for the west coast sites (Bolton & Anderson, 1990). Although Bolton & Anderson (1990) did not examine species in the supralittoral zone, research along the coast of South Africa completed by Stephenson & Stephenson (1937) indicates that in the upmost intertidal zone of both the west and south coast of the cape, Porphyra capensis is the primary algae present, with Bostrychia spp. also represented.

Prokaryotes are ubiquitous, successfully adapting to diverse environments as well as developing symbiotic relationships with host organisms (Lengeler, Drews, & Schlegel, 1999). Prokaryotes may have both autotrophic and heterotrophic characteristics. A cyanobacteria is photosynthetic, commonly called blue-green algae, and may produce toxins (Crayton, 1993). Bacteria are most commonly associated in the general

Microscopic  organisms  known  as  cyanobacteria are  interesting  for  the  following  reasons: [SELECT  ALL  THAT  APPLY] Select  one  or  more: A.  Oxygen  produced  by  their  photosynthesis is  thought  to  be  responsible  for  the  "great oxygenation  event"  about  2.3  billion  years ago.   B.  The  methane  they  produce  is  a greenhouse  gas  that  could  have  helped warm  the  early  Earth,  helping  to  resolve  the Early-­faint-­Sun  paradox. C.  The  chloroplasts  that  carry  out photosynthesis  in  green  plants  are evolutionary  descendents  of  early cyanobacteria.   D.  They  are  known  to  be  the  earliest  forms of  life  on  Earth.

Recent research has suggested the P. marinus may be a key contributor to evolution. Since the organism is incredibly abundant, it also produces an abundant amount of oxygen. Therefore, scientists propose that it has produced much of the oxygen we currently breathe, incited the explosion of early life within our oceans, and fueled the atmosphere’s ancient rise of oxygen. Researchers have also observed that there are differing ecotypes of P. marinus. Each ecotype has a unique hue (bright green, yellow, etc..) that corresponds to its depth. This makes the microbe extremely efficient while photosynthesizing. Additionally, this microbe has the power to regulate CO₂ levels that contribute to global warming, due to its part in the carbon cycle. P. marinus is also a key factor in the ocean’s food webs. It tends to thrive in nutrient-poor regions, making it a valuable food source in the ocean’s web. P. marinus also secretes a variety of peptides that in turn cause other oceanic microbes to secrete an enzyme. This enzyme is responsible for detoxifying reactive oxygen

The common photobiont genus is Trebouxia (Parmotrema, n.d.), which is a commonly referred to as green algae (Trebouxia, n.d.). This means that the photobiont of Parmotrema dilatatum is a uni-celled species of green algae. The mycobiont, or the fungal partner within the lichen, of P. dilatatum is unknown. The photobiont of lichen is essential because without it the mycobiont would not be able to use any of the photosynthetic produced food. But, the mycobiont of P. dilatatum is just as important because it provides protection and an anchor to the photobiont. This is a symbiotic relationship, or where both the photobiont and mycobiont benefit from living and interacting with each

Hi I’m Danielle the dinoflagellates. I am the largest Noctiluca, and may be as large as 2 mm in diameter! Or I could be as small as 15 to 40 microns. Now you may thinking what is this, well I’m going to tell you. For one I am photosynthetic which means that I can create my own food from the sun and provide food for other organisms. I live in freshwater with other really cool and crazy creatures. I am basically algae or plankton. I am usually red,green, or multicolored.

Foveaux Strait contains unique biogenic habitats that supports an important commercial oyster fishery. Regular surveys recorded stock abundance of target oyster species and bycatch, however little is known about the algae community within this region (Michael et al., 2013). Algae can be an important habitat forming organism. In particular calcifying coralline algae has been demonstrated to facilitate the settlement of many invertebrate larvae, inhibit settlement and growth of other seaweed species and enhance local biodiversity (Nelson, 2009; McCoy & Kamenos, 2015). Coralline algae can survive in conditions not typical of other fleshy algae species such as low light and high sand scouring conditions within the Strait (McCoy & Kamenos, 2015).

The genus Ceratium is part of the clade Alveolates, which is considered to be a monophyletic group consisting of single-celled eukaryotes. Dinoflagellates, a phylum (subclade) under Ceratium, are composed of protists. Dinoflagellates can be either photosynthetic (an organism that uses sunlight for energy) or heterotrophic (an organism that consumes organic material for energy), although most are mainly photosynthetic. Ceratium is responsible for the red tide phenomenon in which the protists produce toxins that are released into the water and appear as a “red tide”. During nighttime, some species are capable of producing bioluminescence. Bioluminescence is light that Ceratium generate and can be seen only when the sun goes down. Another characteristic

Beginning about 1850 Ma, we find acritarchs, spherical microfossils with thick and complex organic walls. They are probably dinoflagellates that spent most of their life floating in the plankton.