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APPLICATION OF AN ELECTRONIC PARTICLE COUNTER IN ANALYZING NATURAL POPULATIONS OF PHYTOPLANKTON 1
Author(s) -
Mulligan Hugh F.,
Kingsbury John M.
Publication year - 1968
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 1939-5590
pISSN - 0024-3590
DOI - 10.4319/lo.1968.13.3.0499
Subject(s) - hemocytometer , biomass (ecology) , particle (ecology) , plankton , particle counter , phytoplankton , sizing , environmental science , biological system , ecology , biology , chemistry , physics , meteorology , aerosol , nutrient , biochemistry , organic chemistry
Phytoplankton dynamics in 10 morphometrically identical ponds were analyzed using an electronic particle counter. Results were compared with data obtained by several standard methods. While the counter cannot distinguish living from dead particles, nor species from species, its use in sizing and counting plankton populations yields values for biomass against time which provide a highly resolved profile of pond dynamics. Peaks of biomass can often be correlated with presence of a particular phytoplankter as determined by simple microscopic examination. Biomass determined in this way was more precise than that obtained by determining chlorophyll a or dry weight. Far more data could be obtained in a given time by this means than with a hemocytometer.