Zooplankton IWho Is Out There?ZooplanktonZoo– “animal” and Plankton– “drifters”Animals that do not move/swim independently of currents“Heterotrophs” in the plankton, either herbivores/detritivores or predatorsHoloplankton –wholelife in planktonMeroplankton – part of life in planktonClassification of Marine OrganismsBy FunctionAutotroph“Self” feeder (= primary producer)Fix inorganic C and produce organic matterHeterotroph“Other” feederClassification of Marine OrganismsBy TaxonomyBacteriaSingle-celled, lack cellular organizationEucaryaMembrane-bound organellesProtistaSingle-celled eucarya (simple multicellular relatives)MetazoaPlants, AnimalsMulticellular, have cell wallsClassification of Marine OrganismsBy HabitatBenthic- Bottom-dwellingNektonic - SwimmersPlanktonic -DriftersPhytoplankton – “plant”, primary producerZooplankton -animalClassification of Marine OrganismsPlankton classified by size:Picoplankton (< 2 m)Nanoplankton (2 – 20 m)Microplankton (20 – 200 m)2Phytoplankton are traditionally sampled using a plankton net. The most common kinds of “net plankton” are diatoms and dinoflagellates.Plankton NetPlankton Classification by sizeRoughly corresponds to cell dimensions, ease of observation with your naked eye. Also roughly corresponds to trophiccascade –big things eat smaller things ‐ usually Microplankton: 20‐200 um; microzooplankton such as ciliates and dinoflagellates Nanoplankton: 2‐20 um; flagellates, small diatoms, dinoflagellates and ciliates Picoplankton: 0.2‐2 um; bacteria, small flagellates and other eukaryotes Femtoplankton: 0.02‐0.2; small bacteria, virusesTable 4.1 Major taxonomic groups and representatives of holoplanktonic zooplanktonPhylum Subgroups Common generaProtozoa Dinoflagellates NoctilucaZooflagellates BodaForaminifera GlobigerinaRadiolaria AulacanthaCiliates Strombidium; FavellaCnidaria Medusae Aglantha, Cyanea(formerly Siphonophores Physalia, NanomiaCoelenterata)Ctenophora Tentaculata PleurobrachiaNuda BeroeChaetognatha SagittaAnnelida Polychaetes TomopterisMollusca Heteropods AtlantaThecosomes Limacina; ClioGymnosomes ClioneArthropoda(Class Crustacea)Cladocera Eradne; PodonOstracods ConchoeciaCopepods Calanus; OithonaMysids NeomysisAmphipods ParathemistoEuphausids EuphausiaDecapods Sergestes; LuciferUrochordata Appendicularia OikopleuraSalps Salpa; PyrosomaEucaryaProtistsAnimalsSizemicronanomicromicronano, microFig. 1. An illustration of the dinoflagellate (Dn) Protoperidinium depressum feeding on a chain of diatoms (Dt) using a pallium, a retractile organelle or vacuole, kind of like a stomach, that the dino everts and spreads over the long spines of diatoms so that the contents can be digested. Illustration by D. M. Jacobson (reproduced from Jacobson, 1987 ) http://www.amjbot.org/cgi/content/full/91/10/1523/F1dinoflagellatediatompalliumFlagellateForaminiferaRadiolariaTintinnid (ciliate)pseudopodPhylum Ciliophora(use cilia)-----shelled amoebae----(CaCO3shells)(SiO2spicules)eat picoplanktoneat nano, picoplanktoneat nano, picoplanktonAcantharia –like Radiolaria but skeleton is SrCO3All: “Microzooplankton” – can be important grazers in some circumstances – 100% of primary production, esp if small cells. Important trophic linkAcanthariaFlagellatesImportant grazers of bacteria and other picoplanktonForamsPseudopods extrudedForamsForamsImportant for carbonate fluxes to deep sea –major component of limestone. Widely used for paleoclimate reconstructions (species, 018signatures)RadiolariansRadiolariansSilicon flux to deep seaCiliatesCaptured chloroplastsTable 4.1 Major taxonomic groups and representatives of holoplanktonic zooplanktonPhylum Subgroups Common generaProtozoa Dinoflagellates NoctilucaZooflagellates BodaForaminifera GlobigerinaRadiolaria AulacanthaCiliates Strombidium; FavellaCnidaria Medusae Aglantha, Cyanea(formerly Siphonophores Physalia, NanomiaCoelenterata)Ctenophora Tentaculata PleurobrachiaNuda BeroeChaetognatha SagittaAnnelida Polychaetes TomopterisMollusca Heteropods AtlantaThecosomes Limacina; ClioGymnosomes ClioneArthropoda(Class Crustacea)Cladocera Eradne; PodonOstracods ConchoeciaCopepods Calanus; OithonaMysids NeomysisAmphipods ParathemistoEuphausids EuphausiaDecapods Sergestes; LuciferUrochordata Appendicularia OikopleuraSalps Salpa; PyrosomaEucaryaProtists(protozoa)Animals(metazoa)Sizemicronanomicromicronano, micro(Class Gastropoda)Gelatinous Zooplankton, or “jellies”Gelatinous ZooplanktonHigh percentage of water in their tissues (>90%)- density comparable to water – they float- can be hard to see- don’t do well around solid surfaces (beaches)- large body size with little C- not very nutritious - predator has to processa lot of water (and salt)- ecological/trophic “dead end”CnidarianscarnivoresCtenophores -Carnivores and suspension feedersMolluscs (Class Gastropoda)sea butterfly,shelled(suspension feeder)naked(carnivore)Ctenophore -carnivore(carnivore)Salps -SuspensionfeederCnidariansSchyphozoaCnidariansHydrozoa - SiphonophoresCtenophoresMolluscsPteropodMucus netHeteropod – note shellMolluscs Thecostome and Gymnosome PteropodsNo shellPredatorPreyFootTable 4.1 Major taxonomic groups and representatives of holoplanktonic zooplanktonPhylum Subgroups Common generaProtozoa Dinoflagellates NoctilucaZooflagellates BodaForaminifera GlobigerinaRadiolaria AulacanthaCiliates Strombidium; FavellaCnidaria Medusae Aglantha, Cyanea(formerly Siphonophores Physalia, NanomiaCoelenterata)Ctenophora Tentaculata PleurobrachiaNuda BeroeChaetognatha SagittaAnnelida Polychaetes TomopterisMollusca Heteropods AtlantaThecosomes Limacina; ClioGymnosomes ClioneArthropoda(Class Crustacea)Cladocera Eradne; PodonOstracods ConchoeciaCopepods Calanus; OithonaMysids NeomysisAmphipods ParathemistoEuphausids EuphausiaDecapods Sergestes; LuciferUrochordata Appendicularia OikopleuraSalps Salpa; PyrosomaEucaryaProtistsAnimalsSizemicronanomicromicronano, micro(Class Gastropoda)Urochordates--------------------------DoliolidAppendicularia(larvacean)UrochordatesUrochordatesDoliolid – note muscle bandsAppendicularian (or larvacean) outside of its “house”UrochordatesHouseanimalMucus filterTable 4.1 Major taxonomic groups and representatives of holoplanktonic zooplanktonPhylum Subgroups Common generaProtozoa Dinoflagellates NoctilucaZooflagellates BodaForaminifera GlobigerinaRadiolaria AulacanthaCiliates Strombidium; FavellaCnidaria Medusae