marine primary producers- marine science

me just now realizing I've been disassociating like every day for my entire life

Unicellular Algae basic definition

-A unicellular, eukaryotic cell in Kingdom Protista that is simplistic and photosynthetic

Do not have true leaves, stems, or flowers; have characteristics that allow some to swim

Unicellular Algae in depth characteristics

Diatom basic definition

Unicellular microalgae that is considered the most productive phytoplankton and is not visible to the naked human eye

Diatom in-depth characteristics

Has 6,000 marine species (mostly plankton) and one of the species that cause harmful algal due to the production of toxins when there is an abundance of light and nutrients; has walls made of silica

Dinoflagellates

Planktonic, unicellular microplankton that are autotrophic and some are biolumnescent

Second productive primary producers

What kind of producers are dinoflagellets?

Symbiodinium

An dinoflagellete that is significant in reef-building corals by providing coral with organic matter that feeds the coral in exchange to use the coral as homes; reason why coral are different colors

Chlorophyll

A photosynthetic pigment that captures light in order to perform photosynthesis; gives plants their green color

some plants have other pigments that mask the green color

How come some plants, even though the have chlorophyll, aren’t green?

Blue and red colors

Which colors are mostly absorbed by chlorophyll?

the color green is absorbed less and is reflected

How does chlorphylll make plants green?

Green, Red, Brown

Types of algae

Green Algae

A type of algae that have both chlorophyll A and B; have no roots and only about 10% are considered marine

have holdfasts instead of roots

Green algae characteristics

Cells produce identical cells through mitosis

How do seaweed reproduce asexually (most common reproduction type)

Produce haploid spores or gametes through meiosis to ensure genetic variation; can have small, non-motile eggs or sperm that move with a flagella

How do seaweed reproduce sexually?

Food and medicine, the production of gelatinous chemicals (phycocolloids) such as algin are used in dairy products, baking products, cosmetics, fertilizer, plastics, and textiles.

How are seaweed used in the economy?

Agar

a phycocolloid used as a thickener in some food, as a medium to grow types of bacteria and molds, and can be used to analyze DNA and proteins

Flowering plants (angiosperms) characteristics

Not abundant in the ocean but some present; have true leaves, stems, roots, and specialized tissues to help them transport nutrients and water; have waxy covering to prevent loss of water

Flowering plants

plants that have flowers (angiosperms)

From the salt in the water

Why are flowering plants dehydration prone?

seagrass, salt-marsh plants, mangroves

Types of flowering plants

Seagrass

Submergent (fully underwater) flowering plants that adapted to living in marine environments, growing entirely underwater in shallow areas for sunlight

Not actually considered grasses; have stems that grow beneath the sediment and can only live in areas that receive enough sunlight

Characteristics of Seagrass

Salt Marsh Plants

Members of the grass family; saltwater species that provide shelter for some marine life and are a source of detrius for organisms; some species help to protect against erosion

Saltwater species

Not considered marine species but they can tolerate salinity

Mangroves

An emergent flowering plant that can be found in tropical and subtropical shores and is integral to marine ecosystems from their tangled roots and murky water creating great habitats for small organisms

Help filter run-off water, most of their organic matter consumed by animals is detritus

Mangroves characteristics

Without them, there would be no coastline.

What do salt-marsh plants and mangroves have in common?

Chlorophyll A

a pigment directly involved in photosynthesis

Chrlorophyll B

assists in capturing light needing for photosynthesis

Frond

leaf-like structures that increase the surface area for photosynthesis

Blade

the largest part of the thallus, responsible for photosynthesis and nutrient absorption

Holdfast

anchors seaweed to the substrate

Stipe

Stem-like structure connecting the blade to the holdfast

Air bladder

Balloon-like structures that help the seaweed float and access sunlight

know it

Red Algae

A type of algae that is the most abundatnt out of the 3 and has red pigments (phycoerythrins) that mask chlorophyll

Red Algae characteristics

Some species deposit calcium carbonate in their cell walls, which helps species like coral build reefs by being the solid “cement”-like substance

Brown Algae

Algae that are dominant primary producers in temperate and polar coasts and mostly found in marine environments; color varies from olive green to dark brown

Brown algae

What kind of macroalgae is kelp?