Collection and Analysis of the Zooplankton in the water of Galveston Bay Magdalena Puente Texas A&M University at Galveston

MARB 435 Invertebrate Zoology Lab Nathan Johnson February 13, 2014

Introduction The worlds oceans are full of mysterious and spectacular creatures from the blueringed octopus to the colossal blue whale. However, zooplankton comprise a substantial portion of the ocean including plankton, which are usually categorized into three subsections: phytoplankton, ichthyoplankton, and zooplankton. For the purposes of this research, zooplankton will be the focus of the study. In comparison to the other two subsections in plankton, zooplankton are only invertebrate animals. Zooplankton are typically the tiny animals found near the waters surface in aquatic environments. They are different from phytoplankton in that phytoplankton consist of plants, hence the prefix phyto- meaning plant. Zooplankton consume oxygen whereas phytoplankton consume oxygen as well as carbon dioxide from the water column. Ichthyoplankton, on the other hand, are comprised of fish eggs and larvae. Through our findings, Ive chosen to study in more detail about the copepods and the ctenophores. The purpose of this lab was to collect samples of water containing zooplankton to further understand the inner workings as well as the biographical information concerning zooplankton using this hands on experience. If plankton samples are taken from the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, then a good amount of the invertebrates captured would be copepods. To understand the marine ecosystem as a whole, we need to understand the basic concept of who eats what? Plankton are at the base of the marine food chain and support the entire system. Without a solid foundation, the whole system would fail. Materials and Methods For this experiment, we began by going out to the boat docks behind the Ocean and Coastal Studies Building to do plankton tows. Plankton samples took water samples

using plankton nets with a mesh size of 150 micrometers or 0.15 mm. We first took YSI (Young Springs Instrument) data on the water we were testing, which would tell us the temperature as well as the salinity of the water that day. We sampled from the surface of the water and from just underneath that, the subsurface, which was approximately 1 meter below the surface. We lengthened the string attached to the plankton net and lowered it into the water. To take surface samples, we walked back and forth along the water line dragging the net along the surface to collect plankton. The same was done for the subsurface area, except the net was lowered to about 1 meter below the surface. As a lab, we did 8 replicates at each depth for about 30 meters each time. Once everything for the lab was collected, we siphoned out some of the water and placed it into a petri dish under a dissecting microscope. I was able to identify several various organisms using the microscope to get a closer look at what they look like and what they are doing. Adding my discoveries to the list of my classmates discoveries, we compiled a list of the different organisms identified and how many of each there were. Results Surface Noctiluca scintillans Barnacle cyprid Barnacle naupilus Nemopsis bachei (5) Late Trocophore larva (polychaete) Sub-surface Mnemiopsis macrydi (14) Barnacle cyprid larva (5) Copepod (15) Isopod (3) Juvenile polychaete (5) Mullers larva Table 1. Organisms identified and their abundance in the catch

As shown in table 1, the surface organisms identified were Noctiluca scintillans, barnacle cyprid, barnacle naupilus, five Nemopsis bachei, and late Trocophore larva (polychaete). The sub-surface organisms identified were fourteen Mnemiopsis maccradyi, five barnacle cyprid larva, fifteen copepods, three isopods, five juvenile polychaetes, and Mullers larva. The most abundant organisms caught that were identified were the copepods and the Mnemiopsis maccradyi. The abundance of copepods confirms the hypothesis that copepods would be the most abundant catch. Discussion Out of all the surface and subsurface samples taken from the Gulf, copepods accounted for the most organisms identified. For one simple reason, copepods are extremely small, usually less than 1-2 mm long, and as a result are at the mercy of the current. So, when the plankton nets were drug through the surface and subsurface of the water, the copepods were naturally swept into the net and since there is such a high concentration in the water, our catch was overflowing with copepods. While other small animals were captured as well, copepods were in extreme abundance in comparison. Secondly, the ocean supports a very diverse and extremely delicate ecosystem. In order for this ecosystem to thrive, not just survive, there needs to be a healthy and balanced quantity of organisms. At the root of the system are various forms of plankton. According to Jan A. Pechenik in the Biology of Invertebrates, about two-thirds of all copepod species are planktonic in the ocean. Without copepods, the ecosystem of the ocean would crumble; it needs a solid foundation to build off of. Not only would it greatly affect our oceans, but as a result it would have a major impact on humans.

Copepods serve as an important food source for baby fish; therefore if copepods were in short supply then the young fish would not survive into adult hood. This would limit the supply of fish as food for humans, which would change the economy greatly. Another extremely important job of the copepod is that it feeds on tiny insect larvae, such as mosquitos. If there were limited copepods, there would most likely be an overabundance of insects, pointedly the dreadful mosquito. This is why I believe there was a great abundance of copepods in the plankton nets; they serve as a crucial component to the oceans ecosystem as well as the worlds economy. Taxon Description Kingdom Animalia Phylum Ctenophora Class Tentaculata Order Lobata Family Bolinopsidae Genus Mnemiopsis Species Mnemiopsis macrydi

Warts

Comb rows

Figure 1. shows Mnemiopsis macrydi observed at 400x magnification Mnemiopsis macrydi is a member of the zooplankton community of the South Atlantic Ocean. Figure 1 shows a scientific drawing of Mnemiopsis maccradyi. This organism is a coastal lobate ctenophore that belongs to the class Tentaculata, which has some distinctive characteristics to it. Its body is somewhat laterally compressed, only four of the comb rows are fully developed. The evolution of class Tentaculata goes to show that they have basically evolved into a mechanism for prey capture. In order to collect the food, they have large oral lobes covered with mucus and colloblasts. These oral lobes also aid in locomotion in some species. Exclusive to lobate ctenophores, tentacle-like structures called auricles also assist in prey capture.

References "Marine Species Identification Portal : Mnemiopsis Maccradyi." Marine Species Identification Portal : Mnemiopsis Maccradyi. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. <http://speciesidentification.org/species.php?species_group=zsao&menuentry=soorten&i d=2456&tab=beschrijving>. Knott, D. "Zooplankton." Zooplankton. SCDNR Marine Resources Research Institute, n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2014. "Copepod." Copepod. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2014. <http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/copepod.htm>. Pechenik, Jan A. "The Arthropods." Biology of the Invertebrates. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2010. 381-382. Print. Pechenik, Jan A. "The Ctenophores." Biology of the Invertebrates. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2010. 144-146. Print.