Dinoflagellates

Spend some time observing any ocean ecosystem and you will see that it can look like a very dreary place. A place full of hunting, killing, manipulation, fearfulness and harsh living environments. Nevertheless, the species involved in these interconnected ecosystems of the oceans have found ways to survive in these environments by each fulfilling a specific niche. The niche of some of these species is oftentimes accompanied by another organism, however, these relationships are termed as a…

3.4 Case Studies 3.4.1 Biofuel from GM Macro algae Hydrocarbon biofuels are produced by genetically modified seaweed which are obtained by inserting genes from high hydrocarbon producing micro algae into high growth seaweed species. Botryococcus braunii (BB) a green micro algae that produces large amounts of aliphatic hydrocarbon molecules is used as a source for genetic material. The genes that produce hydrocarbon in BB are identified, removed, cloned and subsequently inserted into high…

factors were observed in order to examine how surface plankton communities varied with distance from shore in the nearshore environment of the Southern California Bight. Through this study we have identified that small phytoplankton, predominately dinoflagellates, dominate the stratified waters off of the coast of Dana Point. As well as identifying other abiotic factors that directly affect the vertical and horizontal…

mechanism so important to survival. Tetrodotoxin is found in the pufferfish liver, ovary, and intestine. It is currently believed that tetrodotoxin is synthesized by closely related species to the pufferfish. This is believed to include bacteria and dinoflagellates (Tyler, et al., 2007). Because of this, tetrodotoxin toxicity is believed to range in toxicity dependent upon the seasons (Tyler, et al., 2007). Pufferfish use a mechanism in which they inflate with…