Phytoplankton Pigments

Pigments act as tracers to elucidate the fate of phytoplankton in the world's oceans and are often associated with important biogeochemical cycles related to carbon dynamics in the oceans. They are increasingly used in in situ and remote-sensing applications, detecting algal biomass and major taxa through changes in water colour. This book is a follow-up to the 1997 volume Phytoplankton Pigments in Oceanography (UNESCO Press). Since then, there have been many advances concerning phytoplankton pigments. This book includes recent discoveries on several new algal classes particularly for the picoplankton, and on new pigments. It also includes many advances in methodologies, including liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and developments and updates on the mathematical methods used to exploit pigment information and extract the composition of phytoplankton communities. The book is invaluable primarily as a reference for students, researchers and professionals in aquatic science, biogeochemistry and remote sensing.

Describes recent advances in the study and use of phytoplankton pigments for students, researchers and professionals in aquatic science, biogeochemistry and remote sensing.

Describes recent advances in the study and use of phytoplankton pigments for students, researchers and professionals in aquatic science, biogeochemistry and remote sensing.

Plankton is a group of small organisms that are passively displaced by water, that is, they are dragged by marine tides and currents. Marine plankton, which includes organisms such as protozoa, microalgae, small crustaceans, and jellyfish, play an important role in maintaining the health and balance of the ocean and its complex food chains. Over three sections and eight chapters, this book provides a comprehensive overview of zooplankton and phytoplankton as well as their environmental and economic importance.

This comprehensive work stems from the activities of SCOR Working Group 78 (Determination of Photosynthetic Pigments in Seawater) established in 1985. It brings together in one volume all the oceanographer needs to measure and identify pigments as well as to select the most appropriate methods and ensure the best analytical quality control.

This 1989 book deals with the physical and chemical properties found in algae of different types (blue-green, red, golden-brown, yellow-green, brown and green). Methods used for extracting and purifying the pigments and their value in classifying the various types of algae are discussed in detail. This book contains detailed tables of the physical properties of the pigments (absorption and fluorescence-emission spectra and extinction coefficients), and brings together data on the distribution of algal pigments in relation to hypotheses of the evaluation of algae. It will be of value to anyone with an interest in phycology.