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The Drift on Plankton

The Drift on Plankton. Photo credit: NOAA. The Drift on Plankton. A Classroom Lesson From the Mathematics & Science Center. Photo credit: NASA - Seawifs. Plankton. The minute drifters of rivers, ponds, lakes, estuaries, and oceans Derived from the Greek root meaning “wanderer” .

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The Drift on Plankton

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  1. The Drift on Plankton Photo credit: NOAA

  2. The Drift on Plankton A Classroom Lesson From the Mathematics & Science Center Photo credit: NASA - Seawifs

  3. Plankton The minute drifters of rivers, ponds, lakes, estuaries, and oceans Derived from the Greek root meaning “wanderer” Photo credit: NOAA

  4. Kinds of Plankton Phytoplankton Microscopic plants and bacteria that photosynthesize Zooplankton Microscopic animals -- from copepods to jellyfish; also includes fish eggs & pelagic invertebrates Photo credit: NOAA Photo credit: Chesapeake Bay Program

  5. Phyto and Zoo Photo credit: EPA

  6. The Drift on Plankton • They don’t swim – they wander the ocean at the mercy of currents and their density Photo credit: NOAA

  7. Plankton: the baseof The Chesapeake Bayfood web Photo credit: USGS

  8. Phytoplankton • Produce 90% of the world’s oxygen • Must stay in the photic zone in order to produce food (and oxygen) • Producers! Photo credit: Chesapeake Bay Program

  9. Major Groups of Phytoplankton • Diatoms • Golden-brown algae • Green algae • Blue-green algae • Dinoflagellates • Cryptomonads • Microflagellates Photo credit: USGS

  10. Zooplankton Must stay in the water column to feed, or must find something to attach to… Primary and secondary consumers Photo credit: Chesapeake Bay Program Photo credit: NOAA

  11. Types of Zooplankton • Microzooplankton Protozoans, rotifers • Mesozooplankton Copepods, invertebrate larvae • Macrozooplankton Fish larvae, amphipods Photo credit: USGS

  12. Macrozooplankton Have to stay in the “water column” in order to feed and grow Photo credits: NOAA

  13. The Plankton Problem:Sink or Swim! Plankton tend to sink as their density is greater that water Plankton have evolved special adaptations to keep afloat Photo credit: NOAA

  14. Special Adaptations Photo credits: NOAA

  15. Model “life” as it is experienced by plankton Simulate various adaptations of plankton which slow their sinking Explore surface to volume ratio as it applies to plankton Develop and test an hypothesis to see who can sink the SLOWEST!!! Our Lab Today

  16. The Experiment Set-up

  17. Unmodified & Modified Plankton Unmodified Modified

  18. Experiment & Data • Record “sinking time” of your plankton • Hypothesize plankton adaptations • Modify your plankton • Record sinking time of your “new” and improved plankton!

  19. The End Photo credits: NOAA

  20. References • NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Slide Library • EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) • USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) • NASA – Seawifs (NASA’s sea research branch) • Chesapeake Bay Program • Mathematics & Science Center Photo credits: NOAA

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