II. Current Scientific Classification

a) Kingdom (6, there were just 5 when I started teaching)

i. Largest unit of classificationb) Phylumc) Classd) Ordere) Familyf) Genusg) Species

III. Kingdoms

• Archabacteria• Eubacteria• Protista• Fungi• Plantae • Animalia

Were once grouped together as Monera

TaxonomyAnd the

Marine Environment

Marine Bacteria

• Classified into two separate kingdoms:

– Archaebacteria– Eubacteria

• Were put together in Kingdom Monera just a decade ago

• All are prokaryotic – Lack a nucleus

• Microscopic– Smallest living thing

• Single-celled– However, they carry out nearly all chemical

reactions found in bigger life forms.

• Plasma (cell) membrane• Found in several different environments

The Kingdom Archaebacteria (“Ancient”)

• Emerged at least 3.5 billion years ago

• live in environments resembling conditions existing when earth was young.

• 3 major known types of Archaebacteria

Ex. Methanogens• Anaerobic bacteria - produce methane

– Found in sewage treatment plants, bogs, deep in the oceans and the intestinal tracts of ruminants

EX. Halophiles

• Thrive in high salt concentrations

– Such as salt lakes or pools of sea water

• Photosynthetic (producing their energy from light)

• Heat-loving bacteria– Found near hydrothermal vents

and hot springs– Many are chemosynthetic, using

dissolved sulfur or other elements as energy source

Ex. Thermophiles

Kingdom Eubacteria (“True”)• Prokaryotic (no nucleus)• Heterotrophic

• Most decomposers• Autotrophic

• Photosynthetic• Chemosynthetic

• Found everywhere in marine environment• shallow and deep water – (shallow water

bacteria do not like deep water and vice versa)

• Some degrade oil

Example• Cyanobacteria -

largest group of photosynthetic eubacteria.

– Often referred to as Blue-green algae

– are often much larger than other bacteria - which in the past led this group to be classified as algae rather than bacteria

Thought to have generated earth’s

atmosphere

–Possess same type of chlorophyll found in algae and plants• pigments not contained within

membrane-bound chloroplasts.

KingdomProtista

Kingdom Protista

• Many have chloroplasts for photosynthesis

• Both unicellular and multicellular

Unicellular Protists

Euglenozoa

• Many swim with a single flagellum• Not encased in a cell wall therefore flexible • Ex. Euglena

Ciliates• Move by cilia.• Single-celled –some seen with the naked

eye.• Examples: Paramecium, Stentor, Vorticella,

Dinoflagellates

• ~1000 species.• Occasionally reproduce explosively

(bloom)• creating poisonous red tides• may cause extensive kills of marine fish and

make filter-feeding marine animals like clams unfit for human consumption.

Diatoms• Main producers in aquatic environments• Serve as main base of food web• Referred to as PHYTOPLANKTON!!

Multi-cellular Protists (Algae)

Seaweeds

• Classified by Color

• General Structure• Holdfast• Thallus

• Blades• Stipe• Gas Bladder

– No roots - absorb water and nutrients directly from sea

– No leaves - photosynthesis takes place all over body

• Ecological Value• Photosynthesis- take up CO2 and contribute O2

to water• Lime secreting seaweeds help build coral reefs• Food source for many life forms• Rich in vitamins and minerals• Habitat for many life forms

Phylum Chlorophyta• Green• Freshwater, terrestrial, and a few marine

(about 10% of the 7000 known).• Bays and estuaries (wide range of salinity)• Rarely grow below 33 feet• Blooms can cause greenish color• Form algae “slime” on boats, jetties, etc

Examples:

Enteromorpha intestinalis

• Found in Artic to Tropical

• On stones in soft sand

• Stone Hair

Dictyosphaeria sp.

• Found in polluted waters of Hawaii

• Bubble like lobes

Cladophora sp.

• Salt marshes• Branched

with many nuclei

• Eaten by snails, amphipods

Phylum Phaeophyta

• “Brown” (olive green to dark brown)

• ~1500 species, mostly marine• Biggest!

Examples:

Pelvetia

• Atlantic and Pacific Coasts high littoral zone

Sargassum

• Sargasso weed• Air bladders• Some grow on rocks, some float• Gulf of Mexico and Gulf of California• Sargasso Sea is an area in the Atlantic,

north of the West Indies, 2.5 million square miles

Padina

• Prefers warm water

• Fan-like

“Kelps”several

Laminaria agardhii• Great abundance

below low tide• Temperate and

Arctic latitudes• Blades reach 10

feet• Attaches to rocks• No common name

Nerocystis luetkeana

• Bullwhip kelp• Pacific• 100 feet

Macrocystis itegrifolia• Giant kelp• Biggest at 330 feet• Grows 20 inches a

day

Phylum Rhodophyta

• RED• They can be very deep and only red light can

get that far

• Lots! ~ 4000 species• Found at 879 feet!

Phylum Rhodophyta• Very few freshwater, mostly marine• Prefer warmer waters• Many parasitic on other seaweeds• Some have lost chlorophyll completely• Usually filamentous (and pretty)

• Source of agar–Jellies–Used to protect hams, fish, and other

meats–Used as a thickener in laxatives, and

cosmetics

Examples:

Phycodrys rubens• Sea Oak• Below lowest

tide marks• Attached to

shells or epiphytic

• Low-tide

Callothamnion

• Red coralline algae• Encrusts rocks• Temperate to polar

Chondrus crispus

• Irish moss• Industrial source

ofcarrageenan

Agardhiella tenera

• Used as a culture medium in bacteriology

• Agar

Seaweed Zonation

• Depth according to pigment– <33 feet mostly Chlorophyta– 0-115 feet lots of Phaeophyta– 0-879 feet lots of Rhodophyta

Seaweed Zonation

• Physical– Wave action– Drying affects of sun and wind– Salinity– Abrasion by water borne sand– PH

• Presence of Grazers

Kingdom Plantae(Marine Angiosperms)

AndKingdom Fungi

All are:

• Eukaryotic • Multicellular

Phylum Anthophyta• A few live in the water, but most live on the

“skirts”– Few are successful in the ocean, only the seagrass are

truly marine

• True leaves, stems, roots, and vascular tissue– Vascular tissue- xylem and phloem

• Allow plants to grow tall by transporting food and water

Sea Grasses• Can grow completely

underwater (can be intertidal and therefore survive when the tide is out)

• Reproduce with flowers and seeds or rhizomes

– Release a string of pollen that floats

• Form broad green submerged meadows

• About 58 species known and in only 12 genera

Zostera• Common name- Eelgrass• Most common• Temperate North Atlantic

and Pacific, and the Gulf Coast

• Found in shallow bays and estuaries

– Can grow in water up to 4-5 meters deep

• Flat ribbon like leaves• Loves O2 poor sediments• Provides habitats for

marine animals– Spawning ground for many

organisms

Phyllospadix• Common name:

Surfgrass• Found on rocky coasts

with lots of wave action• May be exposed at low

tide• Found on Pacific coast

of North America• Seasonal flowers and

fuzzy fruit• Very productive due to

nitrifying bacteria in roots

Thalassia• Common name:

Turtle grass• Found in the Gulf of

Mexico and Caribbean

• Looks like Eelgrass, but the leaves are broader/shorter

• Grows in muddy and sandy sediment

• Calm water• 30 inches or less of

water

Syringodium• Common name:

Manatee grass• Found in shallow

warm waters from Florida and the Gulf Coast northern South America

• Grows at depths from 1 – 3 m

• sandy or muddy bottoms

Marine Plants- partly in the water

Spartina• Halophyte

– Land plants that are tolerate to salt

• Common name: Cord Grass• Do not like being submerged• Found in salt marshes and

other soft bottom costal areas in temperate regions

• Leaves always exposed to air

• Salt glands in leaves• Spreads by rhizomes• Important soil stabilizer• High energy production• Important refugee for many organisms

Salicornia

• Common name: Pickle weed

• Halophyte• Found in salt marshes

and other soft bottom coastal areas in temperate regions

• Leaves always exposed to air

MANGROVES– ~ 80 species (3 in the states)– Provide nursery habitat– Support wide range of wildlife– Maintain coastal water quality– Grow partially submerged in

seawater• Roots filter some salt• Leaves collect salt and eventually fall

off– Roots prevent movement of

sediment– Root system can w/stand

hurricanes!• Mangrove forests can prevent erosion

of coastlines

• 3 species in the Gulf of Mexico/United States– Red

• Closest to shore, in the water• Big arching roots

– Black• More inland• Pneumatophores on roots (soil still wet)• Roots still arch above ground though not as high

– White• Even more inland• No visible roots

Fungi• 500 species of

Marine Fungi• Most are

decomposers• Some are parasites• Can cause disease in

– Sponges– Seaweeds– Shellfish– Fish

OPEN NOTE QUIZ

1

Which of the following groups would contain the greatest number of organisms?• a. phylum• b. genus• c. class• d. order

2

The scientific name contains information about which of the following?• a. family• b. kingdom• c. genus• d. species

3

The current classification was devised by• a. Ruxbin• b. Taxon• c. Linnaeus• d. Darwin• e. Yo momma

4

If two organisms are in the same class they must also be in the same• a. genus• b. species• c. kingdom• d. phylum

5

Which kingdom contains organsims who live in extreme environments?• a. protista• b. archaebacteria• c. plantae• d. eubacteria

6

Which of the following are examples of protista• a. thermoacidophyles• b. rhodophyta• c. halophyles• d. diatoms

7

Prokaryotes can be described by• a. having a nucleus• b. as euglenazoa• c. being unicellular• d. protista

8

Which of the following are phaeophyta?• a. bullwhip kelp• b. sea oak• c. sargassum• d. gillyweed

9

Arthropods are organsims with jointed appendages and exoskeletons. Which arthropods are most closely related?• a. Those of the same family• b. those of the same order• c. those of the same genus• d. those of the same kingdom

10

There are _____ Kingdoms in the current taxonomy system.• a. 3• b. 4• c. 5• d. 6

11

Which group of organisms is responsible for Red Tides?• a. Red Algae• b. Diatoms• c. Dinoflagellates• d. Rhodophyta

12

The algae structure(s) similar to the leaf of a plant is(are)• a. holdfast• b. gasbladder• c. stipe• d. blade

13

A holdfast is different from the leaves of a plant because a holdfast• a. is responsible for photosynthesis• b. doesn’t absorb minerals and nutrients• c. the two are not different• d. none of the above

14

Algae are classified by?• a. color• b. socioeconomic status• c. religious belief• d. grade level

15

If you were viewing algae 550 feet deep you were not looking at?• a. chlorophyta• b. rhodophyta• c. phaeophyta• d. kelp

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