In a paper published in the journal Current Biology, researchers describe a species of bioluminescent phytoplankton, called Pyrocystis noctiluca, that balloons to six times their original size of a few hundred microns.
- Phytoplankton are, on average, 5%-10% heavier than seawater, meaning that if they want to remain at the surface to photosynthesize, they have to find a way to beat gravity.
- The researchers discovered that P. noctiluca cells behave more like little submarines which can control their density so they can choose where they want to reach the ocean’s surface.
- Phytoplankton are single cell species.
- Phytoplankton, also known as microalgae, are similar to terrestrial plants in that they contain chlorophyll and require sunlight in order to live and grow.
- Most phytoplankton are buoyant and float in the upper part of the ocean, where sunlight penetrates the water.
- Phytoplankton also require inorganic nutrients such as nitrates, phosphates, and sulfur which they convert into proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.
- The two main classes of phytoplankton are dinoflagellates and diatoms. Dinoflagellates use a whip-like tail, or flagella, to move through the water and their bodies are covered with complex shells.
- Diatoms also have shells, but they are made of a different substance and their structure is rigid and made of interlocking parts.
- Diatoms do not rely on flagella to move through the water and instead rely on ocean currents to travel through the water.
