Include the smallest and simplest organisms on earth• Represent all three biological domains• Are the most important primary producers in many marine environments• Directly or indirectly feed most marine animals

What is plankton?

What is zooplankton?

What is Phytoplankton?

What are primary producers?

Simplest and smallest and oldest life forms• Carry out most all chemical processes of more complex organisms• Differ from eukaryotes in the circular DNA that encodes genetic information and size of ribosomes• All are enclosed by a cell wall in which lines a plasma or cell membrane• All lack membrane-bound organelles.

Structurally simple but have a great range of metabolic abilities and chemical features• Have many shapes: spheres, coils, rods, rings• Much smaller than single-celled eukaryotes• Have rigid, strong cell walls• Often covered by gelatinous material• Sometimes visible as pink or iridescent patches in stagnant pools

What shapes are bacteria?

• Most are decomposers (decay bacteria) and ensure the recycling of nutrients• Found throughout the water column• Feed many benthic animals• Some can degrade oil and toxic pollutants• Some spoil fish and shellfish catches

• Are primary producers, only some are photosynthetic• Account for much of primary production in sea• Some bacteria produce sulfur instead of oxygen!• Chemosynthetic (chemoautotrophic) bacteria derive energy from H2, or H2S or NH3.

What is the difference btw photosynthetic and chemosynthetic bacteris

Blue-green” algae• Contain chlorophyll and phycocyanin and often phycoerythrin.• Photosynthesis occurs on folded membranes in the cell, not in chloroplasts.• Probably among the first photosynthetic organisms on earth.• Stromatolites may date back a billion years!• Many species of cyanobacteria can withstand wide ranges of salinity and temperature.

What are blue green algae?

What are endophytes

What are epiphytes

Simplest, most primitive forms of life• 3.8 billion years old!!• Small, spherical, spiral or rod-shaped cells• Used to be classified with bacteria, now thought to be more closely related to eukaryotes.• May be heterotrophs or autotrophs.

what are methagens?

what are extremophiles?

where extremophiles located?

Are mostly aquatic, mostly photosynthetic• Are eukaryotic (cells contain organelles)• Photosynthesis takes place in chloroplasts.• Lack flowers, have simple reproductive structures.• Lack true leaves, stems and roots

Phylum Bacillariophyta• Unicellular, may form chains or stars• Enclosed by cell walls made of SO2• Frustule, glassy shell, is made of two halves with intricate performations and ornaments.• Frustule allows passage of light for photosynthesis.

Large group of planktonic, unicellular organisms• Possess two flagella that direct movement• Cell wall is armored with cellulose plates• Most can photosynthesize• Some have a light sensitive crude eye• Most are marine

what is bioluminecense

Golden brown photosynthetic cells that are dinoflagellates that live with an animal host.• Host may be a sponge, anemone or clam. • They fix CO2 and release organic matter used by coral to help build the coral skeleton.

Marine protozoans with a shell of CaCO3.• Pseudopodia, extensions of cytoplasm, are used to trap diatoms and other food• Most live on the bottom• Shells contribute to calcareous material on coral reefs and beaches.• Shells of the few planktonic forams sink and form foraminiferan ooze (limestone and chalk beds – white cliffs of Dover)

what causes pinkk sand in bermuda

Planktonic protozoans that secrete beautiful shells made of silica and other minerals.• Pseudopodia capture food as in forams.• Some form 3 meter long sausage shaped colonies!• Shell remains for radiolarian ooze on the sea bed. • Shells are more resistant to pressure and thus more common than forams.

Protozoans with hair like cilia used in locomotion and feeding.• Most common freshwater ciliate is the Paramecium.• creep over seaweeds and bottom sediments.• Some live inside clams or other organisms.

Eukaryotic , mostly multicellular• Heterotrophs lacking chloroplasts• 500 marine species, mostly microscopic• Decomposers of dead organic matter• Important in mangrove ecosystem• Some are parasites that cause diseases• Some live with algae to form lichens• Marine lichens are seen as dark brown or black patches on rocky shores in the North Atlantic.

What is Meroplankton?

jelly fish are plankton