Effect of prey species and concentration on the feeding
rate of the dinoflagellate, Oxyrrhis marina
Title
Effect of prey species and concentration on the feeding
rate of the dinoflagellate, Oxyrrhis marina
rate of the dinoflagellate, Oxyrrhis marina
Subject
Description
Phytoplankton are the basis of the marine food web, known to be the key producers contributing to primary production in the ocean. The microbial food web consists of phytoplankton (autotrophic producers) and the zooplankton who feed upon them (primary consumers). Recently, marine microbial food webs have been found to have more complex chemical interactions beyond the exchange of energy. Phytoplankton have been found to release chemicals into surrounding water which can act as chemical cues to other organisms in
the food web. Chemical cues, prey size, and availability can affect feeding rates of dinoflagellates on phytoplankton prey. For example, some diatom species produce cytotoxic
fatty acids (Vidoudez and Pohnert, 2011; Lavrentyev et al, 2015). Field studies have revealed that the diatom Skeletonema marinoi produces a type of fatty acid, polyunsaturated aldehydes (PUAs), which can have deleterious effects on grazers and competing plankton species (Taylor et
al., 2009; Gerecht et al., 2011).
This study was conducted to improve the understanding of how prey species and concentration affect the feeding rate of Oxyrrhis marina, a heterotrophic dinoflagellate. This study will address the following research question: If O. marina are exposed to prey of different species, how will prey size effect the feeding rate of the O. marina? The objectives of this study are to (1) measure the prey saturation of O. marina when feeding on Isochrysis galbana at different predator: prey ratios and (2) measure the feeding rates of Oxyrrhis marina on Isochrysis galbana, Phaeocystis globosa, and Skeletonema marinoi. If prey size act as a feeding
deterrent, I hypothesize that 1) O. marina feeding rates will be lower when feeding on S.marinoi 2) O. marina feeding rate will be higher when feeding on I.galbana and P. globosa compared to
S. marinoi.
the food web. Chemical cues, prey size, and availability can affect feeding rates of dinoflagellates on phytoplankton prey. For example, some diatom species produce cytotoxic
fatty acids (Vidoudez and Pohnert, 2011; Lavrentyev et al, 2015). Field studies have revealed that the diatom Skeletonema marinoi produces a type of fatty acid, polyunsaturated aldehydes (PUAs), which can have deleterious effects on grazers and competing plankton species (Taylor et
al., 2009; Gerecht et al., 2011).
This study was conducted to improve the understanding of how prey species and concentration affect the feeding rate of Oxyrrhis marina, a heterotrophic dinoflagellate. This study will address the following research question: If O. marina are exposed to prey of different species, how will prey size effect the feeding rate of the O. marina? The objectives of this study are to (1) measure the prey saturation of O. marina when feeding on Isochrysis galbana at different predator: prey ratios and (2) measure the feeding rates of Oxyrrhis marina on Isochrysis galbana, Phaeocystis globosa, and Skeletonema marinoi. If prey size act as a feeding
deterrent, I hypothesize that 1) O. marina feeding rates will be lower when feeding on S.marinoi 2) O. marina feeding rate will be higher when feeding on I.galbana and P. globosa compared to
S. marinoi.
Creator
DiPasquale, Kaylee
Publisher
Rider University
Date
Relation
Baccalaureate Honors Program
Format
Adobe Acrobat PDF
Language
English
Type
Capstone
Files
Collection
Citation
DiPasquale, Kaylee, “Effect of prey species and concentration on the feeding
rate of the dinoflagellate, Oxyrrhis marina,” Rider Student Research, accessed April 26, 2024, https://riderstudents.omeka.net/items/show/54.
rate of the dinoflagellate, Oxyrrhis marina,” Rider Student Research, accessed April 26, 2024, https://riderstudents.omeka.net/items/show/54.