1. Introduction to Plankton Biology
All in a Drop of Water
Introduction to Plankton Biology
Eukaryotic Diatoms. Photo: Wikipedia, Public domain

2. Who We Are exploration of local systems. sustainable future.
Toronto and Region Conservation (TRCA)
Education is a team of centres and programs
whose commitment to excellence in
education has spanned 50 years.
Our programs are designed to connect
learners to their environment through fun
and meaningful, hands-on
exploration of local systems.
We are dedicated to providing education that
is charting the way to a more
sustainable future.

3. Who We Are

4. What We Offer
What We Do
TRCA Education offers a diversity of programs designed to meet the needs of:
Elementary and Secondary teachers and students
Guiding and Scouting leaders and participants
Youth and Adult community groups of diverse interests and needs
Individuals, of all ages, interested in specialized workshops, camps, certification and credit programs.
Our programming allows you to choose from:
Day Trips
to our many sites and facilities
Day Programs
in your school or community centres
Overnight Field Trips
to our three field centres
* Programs are offered throughout the full calendar year

5. Lake St. George Field Centre
Residential centre in Richmond Hill
2.5 or 5 days
340 acres
Oak Ridges Moraine
Kettle lake
Residential
North America’s Largest Solar Pontoon Boat!

6. Today’s Session: What are plankton? Where can we find plankton?
The plankton family tree
Collecting samples…let’s head outside
Slide preparation and ID
Curriculum links and suggestions for classroom activities

7. small, drifting organisms.
What are PLANKTON?
“Plankton” means
small, drifting organisms.

8. Zones of the Lake Trophogenic Zone Limnetic Zone Tropholytic Zone
Littoral Zone
Trophogenic Zone
Limnetic Zone
Tropholytic Zone
Littoral zone – sunlight penetrates, physical bottom, shallow parts, rooted aquatic macrophytes
Limnetic zone- primary production with light energy; imaginary bottom
Profundal zone – no sun, imaginary bottom
Benthic zone – no sun, bottom of basin
Tropogenic zone – light penetration, photosynthesis is happening here
Tropholytic zone – high carbon dioxide, low oxygen, decomposition is happening here
Profundal Zone
Benthic Zone

9. Zones of the Lake
Littoral zone – sunlight penetrates, physical bottom, shallow parts, rooted aquatic macrophytes
Limnetic zone- primary production with light energy; imaginary bottom
Profundal zone – no sun, imaginary bottom
Benthic zone – no sun, bottom of basin
Tropogenic zone – light penetration, photosynthesis is happening here
Tropholytic zone – high carbon dioxide, low oxygen, decomposition is happening here

10. Plankton

11. Plankton Family Tree Plankton
Plankton – free floating organisms, often invisible to the unaided eye
Two groups: 1) Phytoplankton (plant);
2) Zooplankton (animal);
THE FAMILY TREE IS COMPLICATED!
Plankton
Classify as…
Phytoplankton
Zooplankton
Prokaryotae
Protista
(plant-like)
Protista
(animal-like)
Animalia
Bacteria,
blue-green algae
Algae
green, red, brown
Ciliates
Rotifers
Dinoflagellates
Sarcodinians
Crustaceans
Cladocera, Copepods
& Ostracods
Golden
incl. diatoms
Animal
Flagellates
Choose Kingdom…

12. A producer AND a consumer!
Euglena sp.
A producer AND a consumer!

13. Phytoplankton “plant” plankton photosynthesize…autotrophs!
biodiversity is incredible!
NOT synonymous with ALGAE; some algae are phytoplankton, some are not (e.g. kelp)
Phytoplankton – a group of sinking autotrophic cells in an illuminated turbulent medium containing dilute nutrients

14. Kingdom Prokaryotae Monerans, bacteria
Unicellular, colonial, filamentous
Lack nucleus
Lack chloroplasts…pigment seems to be distributed throughout but is contained in flat bodies called thylakoids
Nitrogen fixation
eg. Blue green algae

15. Blue-Green Algae
Anabaena sp.

16. Kingdom Protista
Unicellular, colonial, filamentous, floating, attached or swimming
Eukaryotes; possess nuclei, organelles
May have 2, 4, or even 8 flagella (whip-like)
Some have cell wall
Important supplier of oxygen…may contain chloroplasts (grass green)
e.g. rock slime, pond slime, desmids, diatoms, dinoflagellates
New Study Shows Eukaryotic Phytoplankton Account for Almost 50% of Ocean’s Carbon Fixation
New Study Shows Eukaryotic Phytoplankton Account for Almost 50% of Ocean’s Carbon Fixation

17. Green Algae
Ulothrix sp.

18. Green Algae
Closterium sp.
- a desmid
Chloroplast

19. Spirogyra sp.

20. Green Algae
Volvox sp.?

21. Diatoms
Asterionella sp.

22. Diatoms
Cymbella sp.

23. Diatoms
Fragillaria sp.

24. Dinobryon sp. – a Chrysophyte
Golden algae “swimming tree”

25. Dinoflagellates
Ceratium sp.

26. Zooplankton “animal” plankton Heterotrophs…consumers
Self determined movement
Horizontal movement determined largely by currents. Vertical migration a response to changing light intensity.
Limited swimming ability. Horizontal movement determined largely by currents. Vertical migration a response to changing light intensity.

27. Some common zooplankton
Kingdom Protista
Sarcodinians – no definitive shape; movement by pseudopods (flow into false feet) eg. Amoeba
Ciliates – covered with cilia; may be anchored or move by drifting or beating of cilia (eg. Paramecium, Vorticella)
Flagellates – lack colour and move with whip-like motion of flagellum eg. Leptomonal
Describe protozoans based on how they move.
Sarcodinians – move by extending their cytoplasm

28. Some Ciliates
Zoothamnium sp.
Glaucoma sp.

29. Some Ciliates
Vorticella sp.

30. Some common zooplankton
Kingdom Animalia
Rotifers – cilia appear to rotate like wheel to sweep food into mouth eg. Rotaria
Crustaeans – Water fleas (Daphnia, Bosmina)
Copepods (Cyclops)
Ostracods
Water Bears – Phylum Tardigrada

31. Rotifers – the wheel animals
Keratella sp.

32. Water Fleas
Crustaceans
Bosmina sp.
Daphnia sp.

33. Copepods

34. Water Bear, Phylum Tardigrada

35. Collecting Samples Let’s head outside…
Use plankton net, sieves, toothbrushes, credit cards, etc
Use plankton net, sieves, toothbrushes, credit cards, etc

36. Slide Preparation Obtain a clean slide and slide cover
Place 1-2 drops in centre of slide
Place slide cover to one side of the drop on a 45o angle
Gently lower cover; avoid trapping bubbles
If any water squeezes out, absorb with paper towel/tissue before placing slide on the stage
Use quieting solution (i.e. Glycerol) with well slide
Use quieting solution (i.e. Glycerol) with well slide

37. Magnification
To obtain the total magnification, multiply the magnification of the ocular lens by the magnification of the objective lens.
low power (4x) x ocular (10x) = 40x
med. power (10x) X ocular (10x) = 100x
high power (40x) X ocular (10x) = 400x
oil immersion (100x) X ocular (10x) = 1000x

38. Measurement Units Metric units of microns (µm) 1 x 10-6
That means 1 millionth of a metre Or
1 thousandth of a millimetre

39. Limitations
Not quantitative
Misidentification
Daily, seasonal fluctuations
Nanoplankton < 64 µm

40. Curriculum Links Grade 7 Science – Interactions in the Environment
Grade 8 Science – Cells, Water Systems
Grade 9 Science – Sustainable Ecosystems
Grade 10 Science – Climate Change
Grade 11 Biology
Grade 11 Environmental Science
Grade 12 Science – Biotechnology
Grade 12 Biology – Population Dynamics

41. Classroom Activities
Each student selects 1-2 organisms and produces an A.L.I.C.E. for each
A = Appearance
L = Location
I = Investigation
C = Conclusion
E = Ecosystem

42. Appearance: covered with hair-like cilia, organelles visible
Location: east basin of Lake St. George, littoral zone near dock, submergent plant sample
Investigation: moves by beating cilia, found near green algae on slide
Conclusion: Paramecium spp.
Ecosystem: primary consumer (herbivore)
Zooplankton
Kingdom Protista
Primary Consumer
Paramecium sp.
100 X magnification

43. Classroom Activities
Construct food chains/webs based on the organisms observed.

44. Aquatic Food Web

45. Classroom Activities
Use species assemblages to make conclusions about water quality. Make predictions about the effect of an accidental spill of algaecide, etc.
Collect plankton from a variety of sources (aquaria, roadside pools, ponds, different sized lakes with differing water quality, streams, sewage inlet, etc)
Collect plankton from a variety of sources (aquaria, roadside pools, ponds, different sized lakes with differing water quality, streams, sewage inlet, etc)

46. Classroom Activities Limiting factors Experimental Lakes Area
Lakes #226 & 227, phosphorus and eutrophication

47. Classroom Activities Research the use of diatoms in paleolimnology
Smol, 2008

48. NATIVE LAND USE AND SETTLEMENT PATTERNS:
CLIMATE CHANGE:
Queen's scientists discover "ecologically unique" changes in Arctic lake
NATIVE LAND USE AND SETTLEMENT PATTERNS:
Diatom assemblage response to Iroquoian and Euro-Canadian eutrophication of Crawford Lake, Ontario

49. Classroom Activities Biotechnology Photobioreactors
Maclean’s Oct 12, 2009 p. 53

50. Classroom Activities Invasive species – spiny water flea Red tides
Diatomaceous earth

51. Resources http://post.queensu.ca/~pearl/ http://planktonnet.awi.de/

52. Resources Limnology by Wetzel
ISBN
Investigating Aquatic Ecosystems by Andrews
ISBN X
Environmental Pollution by Andrews
ISBN
How to Know the Protozoa by Jahn, Bovee & Jahn
ISBN
How to Know the Freshwater Algae by Prescott
ISBN
Pollution of Lakes and Rivers by Smol
ISBN

53. Contact Info
Nicole Hamley
Instructor, Lake St. George Field Centre