Advances in sampling strategies and analysis of phytoplankton (Chapter 31)

Abstract

Phytoplankton are microscopic, unicellular organisms that play a pivotal role as the base of food webs in aquatic systems. Depending on the econiche inhabited, the sampling strategies and procedures employed for analysis will differ. In this chapter, we discuss the sampling strategies used for water and sediment, in diverse coastal and oceanic environments. Analyses of phytoplankton with regard to taxonomy, community structure, benthic diatoms, dinoflagellate cysts, fouling diatoms, epibiotic phytoplankton, and picophytoplankton are elaborated. The application of FlowCAM and flow cytometry techniques in analysis of phytoplankton and picophytoplankton are also discussed. Analysis of phytoplankton pigments through high performance liquid chromatography; phytoplankton toxins through solid-phase adsorption toxin tracking approach; and determination of photosynthetic efficiency using the fluorescence induction and relaxation technique are also detailed. In addition, the determination of primary productivity through various isotope techniques and fast repetition rate fluorometry is examined. The application of remote sensing to determination of primary productivity and monitoring of harmful algal blooms is elucidated. The application of high throughput sequencing-based methods like DNA metabarcoding to phylogenetic analysis of phytoplankton and its implications in phytoplankton taxonomy is also highlighted.