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VERTICAL MIGRATION OF EUGLENA VIRIDIS ON SCRIPPS BEACH, LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of phycology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.85
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1529-8817
pISSN - 0022-3646
DOI - 10.1111/j.1529-8817.2001.jpy37303-70.x
Subject(s) - population , biology , irradiance , expansive , benthic zone , diel vertical migration , oceanography , sediment , ecology , geology , paleontology , compressive strength , physics , demography , quantum mechanics , sociology , composite material , materials science
Kingston, M. B. & Baugh, A. J. Biology Department, Elon University, Elon, NC 27244‐2020 USA The upward migration of millions of benthic Euglena viridis cells forms expansive green patches covering Scripps Beach during daytime low tides. Scripps Beach is an open ocean beach characterized by high‐energy wave action. As the rising tide approaches, the green patches fade as the population migrates down into the sediment. Between July 18 and July 23, 2000, light experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of incident irradiance on the vertical migration of E. viridis. Neutral‐density filters were used to reduce the incident light levels to 56%, 22%, and 2% of incident irradiance. Opaque film canisters were used as a dark treatment. Microscopic examination of surface samples was used to tally the number of E. viridis under 5 replicates of each light treatment arranged in a Latin square design. Sediment weights were used to calculate the number of E. viridis per mg of sand collected. One‐way ANOVA revealed a statistically significant effect of light. The 100% incident irradiance and dark treatments resulted in significantly lower surface cell densities. Sediment cores were collected and sectioned to determine the vertical distribution of the population during high and low tides. The cell counts of the core sections revealed that large numbers of viable cells were found 15 cm below the surface during high tide. The vertical migration pattern of the Scripps Beach population of E. viridis will be contrasted with the pattern observed in diurnally migrating E. viridis populations living on the banks of small streams in central North Carolina.