Unit Six SSWIMS/Plankton. William Hamner, Ph.D. Peggy Hamner, M.S. Scott Sperber, B.S.

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1 The Project Oceanography staff would like to thank the following people for their help in creating, editing, and presenting the Plankton program materials. William Hamner, Ph.D. Doctor Hamner is the Director of the SSWIMS program and a Professor at UCLA in Los Angeles. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Zoology from Yale University and his Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of California, Los Angeles. Peggy Hamner, M.S. Peggy is the Project Coordinator for the SSWIMS program and a Staff Research Associate at UCLA in Los Angeles. She received a B. A. degree in Zoology and a Master of Science degree in Marine Ecology, both from the University of California, Davis. William and Peggy have been a research team since Their research approach emphasizes the use of SCUBA or research submersibles to study individual animals in their own environment and collect undamaged live animals. Scott Sperber, B.S. Scott is a middle and high school teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from California State University of Long Beach and has been in education for 23 years. Scott presently is a consultant for the UCLA SSWIMS program, and he has been involved with the UCLA marine science teacher education program for the past 8 years. Project Oceanography 104

2 Unit VI Science Standards with Integrative Marine Science-SSWIMS On the cutting edge This program is brought to you by SSWIMS, a thematic, interdisciplinary teacher training program based on the California State Science Content Standards. SSWIMS is provided by the University of California Los Angeles in collaboration with the Los Angeles County school districts, including the Los Angeles Unified School District. SSWIMS is funded by a major grant from the National Science Foundation. Plankton Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to do the following: Determine a basis for plankton classification Differentiate between various plankton groups Compare and contrast plankton adaptations for buoyancy Key concepts: phytoplankton, zooplankton, density, diatoms, dinoflagellates, holoplankton, meroplankton Plankton Introduction Plankton is from a Greek word for wanderer. It is a collective term for the various organisms that drift or swim weakly in the open water of the sea or freshwater lakes and ponds. These weak swimmers, carried about by currents, range in size from the tiniest microscopic organisms to much larger animals such as jellyfish. Plankton can be divided into two large groups: planktonic plants and planktonic animals. The plant plankton or phytoplankton are the producers of ocean and freshwater food chains. They are autotrophs, making their own food, using the process of photosynthesis. The animal plankton or zooplankton eat food for energy. These heterotrophs feed on the microscopic world of the sea and transfer energy up the food pyramid to fishes, marine mammals, and humans. Scientists are interested in studying plankton, because they are the basis for food webs in both marine and freshwater ecosystems. Project Oceanography 105

3 Phytoplankton Planktonic plants are a kind of algae called phytoplankton. These tiny plants live near the surface because, like all plants, they need sunlight for photosynthesis. The density of water helps phytoplankton float, but phytoplankton still must fight against the force of gravity. Phytoplankton have special adaptations to stop them from sinking to the bottom to die. Because phytoplankton are tiny, they don t weigh very much and they have a large surface area relative to their volume, which helps them float. Adaptations such as spines increase the surface area even more and prevent phytoplankton from sinking too fast. Phytoplankton also remain near the surface because warm surface waters of the sea and of lakes are regularly mixed each day by the wind down to a depth of about 30 meters (about 100 feet). Phytoplankton sink so slowly that this daily mixing of surface waters carries them back toward the surface before they sink too deep to survive. Scientists can further classify phytoplankton according to their structural appearance and composition. The two main types of phytoplankton include the diatoms and the dinoflagellates. The diatoms are golden-brown algae that can be identified by their two-part shell of silica called frustules. These shells fit together creating geometric glasslike box shapes. The delicate markings on the shells are used to identify the species. These organisms existing as single cells or growing in chains or colonies leave behind their siliceous shells when they die. Diatom shells form a crumbly substance called diatomaceous earth that is used in the manufacture of paint, silver polish, and other materials. The dinoflagellates are identified by their two flagella or whip like projections used for locomotion. They do not have silica in their shells but may have shells made of cellulose. Dinoflagellates have some characteristics in common with both plants and animals. For instance, they can produce their own food through photosynthesis like plants, but they can also eat other plankton and move through the water using their flagella just like animals. This has caused scientists to rethink how they should classify dinoflagellates. Project Oceanography 106

4 Zooplankton Planktonic animals are called zooplankton. Unlike phytoplankton, which must have sunlight to live, zooplankton can live at all depths of the ocean. Zooplankton are either holoplankton (permanent plankton) or meroplankton (temporary plankton). Holoplankton live up in the water all of their lives. Meroplankton are mostly larval stages of larger pelagic and benthic organisms, such as fish, crabs, worms, etc. These animals spend only part of their life cycle in the water column, and when meroplanktonic larvae become adults that live on the bottom, they become part of the benthic food web. During daylight hours many microscopic zooplankton that eat phytoplankton can be found near the surface. Individually, these organisms are very difficult to see because of their small size, but if they are collected in a plankton net and concentrated into a jar, they can be observed. Other kinds of zooplankton, soft bodied and delicate, with the consistency of jello, also occur at the surface of the sea during the day. These zooplankton, such as jellyfish and snails, are difficult for predators to see, even though they are large, because their bodies are transparent. Some larger herbivorous and carnivorous zooplankton live deeper in the ocean during the day and migrate at night to the surface waters to feed. They move long distances vertically propelling themselves with legs, antennae, cilia, or tails. Other zooplankton always stay in deeper water, never rising to the surface. None of these are herbivores, because they live at depths that sunshine cannot reach. Many of these animals are black or red, colors that are invisible in perpetual dark. Project Oceanography 107

5 Activity: Design and Construct a Plankter This activity is adapted from Getting to Know Plankton ã 2000 James A. Kolb FOR SEA Institute of Marine Science, Indianola, WA Plankton are living organisms that cannot swim against a current. These plants and animals are adapted to life in the water column. They have chosen unique features that allow them to make or obtain food. This food is then transformed into energy that is used to fuel other life processes. Objectives: Students will be able to do the following: 1. Design a plankter. 2. Construct a plankter from their design. 3. Test their plankter for correct buoyancy. Materials: For the class: Buckets of water (for trials) Aquarium, filled with water (for final time trials) Stopwatch For each student or pair of students: Waterproof clay Soda straws Toothpicks Small nails (various sizes) String Styrofoam peanuts Coffee stirrers Aluminum foil Cooking oil (if you are adventurous) Procedure: 1. Discuss/review the benefits to phytoplankton of staying near the sunlit water surface. 2. Brainstorm some of the adaptations used by phytoplankton to keep them near the water s surface. 3. Explain to the students that they are to use the materials provided to create a plankter that hangs just below the water s surface and sinks slowly to the bottom. 4. Have the students decide on a specific amount of time that the plankter can remain on the surface before it starts to sink. 5. Give students construction materials or let students choose their own materials. Project Oceanography 108

6 6. Have students design and construct a plankter following the predetermined time criteria. Have students draw a picture of their creation. 7. Have students test their creations in buckets and record the sinking time. 8. Have students adjust their creations and retest. Students should also record the new sinking time. Have students draw a new picture reflecting the changes they made to their plankter. 9. Discuss the adaptations and their results. Include some of the following questions in your discussion: What changes helped to slow down the plankter? Why do you think this change worked so well? How is your plankter different than a faster plankter? What improvements could be made to your plankter? Can you compare your plankter to a real plankter? Possible Extension: 1. Have students research another plankton adaptation, such as body color in relation to where they live, or body parts of zooplankton used to catch their food (e.g. jellyfish tentacles). Additional Activities Additional FOR SEA activities that may be seen on the television broadcast include constructing a plankton net, classifying plankton, and the Baleen Strains activity. Plankton identification sheets that can be used for plankton classification activities are found within this packet. Diane Gusset of FOR SEA prepared the sheets. These activities (in addition to the above adaptation) are selections from the FOR SEA program that provides curriculum guides and CD-ROMS for grades For more information, please contact: For Sea Institute of Marine Science P.O. Box 188 Indianola, Washington (360) Project Oceanography 109

7 Phytoplankton Identification Sheet Plant Plankton Diatoms (microscopic, golden-brown algae) Unit Six From Getting to Know Plankton ã 2000 James A. Kolb FOR SEA Institute of Marine Science, Indianola, WA Project Oceanography 110

8 Zooplankton Identification Sheet Animal Plankton Unit Six From Getting to Know Plankton ã 2000 James A. Kolb FOR SEA Institute of Marine Science, Indianola, WA Project Oceanography 111

9 Zooplankton Identification Sheet Unit Six From Getting to Know Plankton ã 2000 James A. Kolb FOR SEA Institute of Marine Science, Indianola, WA Project Oceanography 112

10 Zooplankton Identification Sheet Unit Six Mystery Plankton Dinoflagellates-Plant or Animal? From Getting to Know Plankton ã 2000 James A. Kolb FOR SEA Institute of Marine Science, Indianola, WA Project Oceanography 113

11 Freshwater Plankton Identification Sheet Unit Six From Getting to Know Plankton ã 2000 James A. Kolb FOR SEA Institute of Marine Science, Indianola, WA Project Oceanography 114

12 Freshwater Plankton From Getting to Know Plankton ã 2000 James A. Kolb FOR SEA Institute of Marine Science, Indianola, WA Project Oceanography 115

13 Student Information: Plankton Unit Six Plankton can be found in all types of water from salty oceans to freshwater lakes and ponds. These weakly swimming organisms rely on currents to move them from place to place. These interesting creatures range in size from the very smallest organisms that can only be seen through a microscope to much larger organisms such as jellyfish. Plankton can be divided into two large groups: plant plankton or animal plankton. Plant plankton called phytoplankton are the producers in most aquatic food chains. They use energy from sunlight to make their own food during the process of photosynthesis. They must stay near the water s surface where sunlight penetrates in order to survive. The animal plankton or zooplankton eat other organisms including the phytoplankton. They migrate up and down through the water column as they look for food. They can live in deeper water, because they do not depend on sunlight for survival. Scientists study plankton because they are important components of ocean and freshwater food webs. A wide variety of animals depend on the plankton as a food source. For instance, even some large animals eat plankton. Some whales strain seawater through their baleen. The baleen acting as a sieve removes the seawater leaving the whale with a plankton lunch. These enormous animals need large amounts of plankton in order to survive. It has been estimated that it takes several hundred billion microscopic phytoplankton to feed one humpback whale for several hours. We can see that it is important for us to take care of our oceans and not pollute them; so healthy plankton can continue to be the basis of many aquatic food webs. Project Oceanography 116

14 Plankton Vocabulary Algae-nonvascular plants possessing chlorophyll and performing photosynthesis Autotroph-an organism that produces its own food Baleen-horny material forming the fringed plates that hang from the upper jaw of certain whales Benthic-lives and/or moves on the ocean floor Carnivore-an organism that eats only meat Cellulose-the main component of plant cell walls Cilia-tiny, hairlike projections; used for locomotion in some one-celled organisms Density-relationship of mass to volume Diatom-microscopic, golden-brown algae having cell walls made of silica Diatomaceous earth-deposits of diatom frustules or their fossil remains Dinoflagellate-marine algae having two flagella Ecosystem-a local biological community and its pattern of interaction with its environment Flagella-whip like extensions of unicellular organisms used for locomotion Frustule-the cell wall of a diatom Herbivore-an organism that eats only plants Heterotroph-an organism that does not produce its own food Holoplankton-zooplankton that spend their whole life as plankton Larva-animal stage just after hatching from an egg Meroplankton-temporary plankton Microscopic-too small to be seen with the unaided eye, but large enough to be studied under a microscope Project Oceanography 117

15 Pelagic-pertaining to or living in the open ocean Photosynthesis-the process of plants converting chlorophyll and sunlight into food Phytoplankton-microscopic plants that float near the water surface; the base of almost all food webs in the ocean and in fresh water Plankter-a single plankton Plankton-organisms which can be animal or plant that drift or swim weakly, carried about in water currents Zooplankton-animal plankton ranging from microscopic in size to the largest jellyfish Project Oceanography 118

16 For The Teacher SSWIMS: Presents Plankton Lesson Objectives: The program provides students with an integrated biology/physics unit on plankton aligned with National and California State Content Standards. SSWIMS Overview The SSWIMS program is based on the concept that science disciplines physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and earth and space science are all inter-related. They can be better understood by elementary and secondary school teachers and students when they are woven into an integrated standardsbased curriculum using a common theme. An environmental theme provides a compelling reason for students to develop a sense of stewardship about their natural world, particularly when these connections are fostered in asystematic and comprehensive way. Students everywhere are fascinated with the ocean and its inhabitants, and the marine environment provides an effective integrative theme. Plankton as an Appropriate Standards Topic Inside this packet are activities designed for educators on all levels to show what you can accomplish using plankton as a vehicle in education. By using these lessons educators can meet content standards (national or state). Students can learn about the physics, chemistry and biology of the ocean by using plankton as a common theme. Because Los Angeles is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, this program presents oceanic plankton, but the information also applies to freshwater plankton. Plankton was chosen as a vehicle for a number of reasons. First, plankton are abundant in almost all bodies of water on Earth, both freshwater and marine. Plankton are a basis for almost all aquatic food webs, yet most students do not know much about these important organisms. Second, a study of plankton enables the teacher to discuss animal and plant processes and to integrate this information through the common theme of an oceanic food web. Third, understanding plankton and their Project Oceanography 119

17 place within the food webs of the Earth will not only increase the student s awareness of ecology but also increase the student s understanding of the importance of preserving the health of our freshwater and marine environments. On the following pages you will find content standards that can be met using the activities and information found in this packet and on the accompanying television broadcast. The activities are selections from the award-winning FOR SEA curriculum, with teachers guides and CD-ROMS available for grades For Sea Institute of Marine Science P.O. Box 188 Indianola, WA (360) National Science Content Standards Category Content Standard Relevant concept Unifying concepts and processes in science Science as inquiry Physical Science Systems, order and organization Properties and changes of properties in matter Plankton are divided into two groups: phytoplankton and zooplankton Microscopic plankton do not swim against the current but drift in the current Life Science Motion and forces Transfer of energy Structure and function in living systems Reproduction and heredity Diversity and adaptations of organisms Phytoplankton float near the surface using special adaptations so they can photosynthesize and reproduce Some zooplankton are the larval forms of invertebrates and fishes Phytoplankton float near the surface using special adaptations so they can photosynthesize and reproduce Project Oceanography 120

18 California Science Content Standards Unit Six Category Unifying concepts and processes in science Science as inquiry Physical science Life science Science in personal and social perspective Middle School Content Standards Systems, order and organization Evidence, models and explanation Constancy, change and measurement Evolution and equilibrium Form and function Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry Understandings about scientific inquiry Properties and changes of properties in matter Motions and forces Transfer of energy Structure and function in living systems Reproduction and heredity Regulation and behavior Populations and ecosystems Diversity and adaptations of organisms Personal health Populations, resources and environments Natural hazards Risks and benefits Relevant Activity Background information and classification systems and its application to plankton Plankton tow Design and Construct a Plankter Design and Construct a Plankter Baleen Strains Design and Construct a Plankter Design and Construct a Plankter Baleen Strains Design and Construct a Plankter Baleen Strains Design and Construct a Plankter Baleen Strains Background information Baleen Strains Design and Construct a Plankter Background information Background information Design and Construct a Plankter Background information Background information Design and Construct a Plankter Background information Baleen Strains Project Oceanography 121

19 SSWIMS References Books Deboyd L. Smith & Kevin B. Johnson A guide to Marine Coastal Plankton and Marine Invertebrate Larvae, 2 nd edition. Kendall Hunt, Dubuque, Iowa. ISBN Irby, Bobby, N., Malcom K. McEwen, Shelia A. Brown, and Elizabeth M. Meek Man and the Gulf of Mexico. Diversity of Marine Plants. University Press of Mississippi, Jackson, Mississippi. ISBN Kolb, J. ã 2000 For Sea Institute of Marine Science, Indianola, Washington. Sir Alister Hardy The open sea: Its natural history. Part 1: The world of plankton. Houghton Mifflin, Boston. Out of print, but a classic and readable book. Excellent illustrations. Web sites Bermuda Atlantic Time Series Study (BATS) lesson plans "... links to lesson plans created by scientists and teachers... designed to employ BATS oceanographic data to promote inquiry-based learning in grade 5-12 classrooms,... linked to the appropriate topics in the National Science Education content standards." Click on the "PlanktonTow" link for photos and text about various planktonic organisms. Chesapeake Bay Program Excellent general information about plankton and definitions of related terms; links to other sites emphasizing information about the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem "Biology of Copepods" In-depth information and illustrations of this important group of crustaceans, both planktonic and benthic, marine and freshwater. home page of Dr. Claudia Mills, a scientist whose specialty is gelatinous zooplankton such as jellyfish; lovely photographs and informative text, excellent links to other plankton web sites Project Oceanography 122