Correlations of planktonic bioluminescence with other oceanographic parameters from a Norwegian fjord

Abstract

In August 1985 and 1986, a senes of bathyphotometric measurements were made In icefree waters of Vestfjord, Norway, to quantify stimulable in situ bioluminescence. In 1986, we tested and identified the causative bioluminescent plankton. In all profiles, peak or maximum bioluminescence intensity was always within a zone of 15 to 30m below sea surface, with marked decreases below 50m. Maximum biolurninescence intensity from all profiles for both years ranged from 3 X 10' to 2 X 10' photons S-' cc-' of turbulently-flowing seawater. Testing some of the plankton on board ship revealed that the brightest flashes were produced by the copepods Metridia longa and M lucens and the ostracod Conchoecia sp. Dinoflagellates of the genus Protopendnium emitted light at an intermediate level. The total number of dinoflagellates ranged from 1300 to 3700 cells I-' at water depths of 10 to 30m, and sharply decreased at 80 to lOOm (2 to 11 cells I-'). It was estimated that dinoflagellates accounted for 96 % of the measured light from the surface to a depth of loon?. Several species of the luminous d~noflagellate Ceratium were found. However, their contribution to the overall light budget never exceeded 25 %. P. curtipescontributed at least 50 % of the measured light field at 30m and above. In general, luminous zooplankton (larval copepods and euphausiids) contributed less than 4 % of the light produced above 100 m. The number of bioluminescent dinoflagellates correlated with bioluminescent intensity at the 0.05 significance level. Correlation analysis of beam attenuation coefficient w t h biolun7inescent intensity yielded high r values resulting in an overall level of significance of less than 0.01, and, therefore, may be a useful indicator for bioluminescence.

Bioluminescence to reveal structure and interaction of coastal planktonic communities

“…High fluorescence was absent in the high-CV data cluster, suggesting zooplankton. Lapota et al (1989) demonstrated that Gymnodinium sp. even when correlations between fluorescence and biolumines cence are strong, it does not necessarily confirm that the fluorescence has been due to the luminescent organisms as heterotrophic dinoflagellates may often dominate the planktonic community.…”

Bioluminescence flow visualization in the ocean: an initial strategy based on laboratory experiments

“…The volume flow rate number, a dimensionless flow rate, were calculated was determined by weighing the flow discharge (Schlichting, 1979) for each bioluminescence meacollected over a measured time. Darcy friction surement as previously described (Latz and Rohr, factor, a dimensionless pressure, and Reynolds 1999 Sullivan and Swift, 1994) and 0.5-3 x 109 (Lapota et al, 1989;Swift et al, 1995) t°2 ... photons cell-', respectively.…”

Long Term Dinoflagellate Bioluminescence, Chlorophyll, and Their Environmental Correlates in Southern California Coastal Waters

“…On monthly transits between SDB and SCI an "on-board" sensor system sampled seawater continuously from 3m below the sea surface from a 50m research vessel, the R/V Acoustic Explorer, measuring bioluminescence, seawater temperature, and salinity (Lapota and Losee 1984, Lapota et al 1988, 1989. A vertically deployed bathyphotometer capable of measuring bioluminescence, temperature, salinity, beam attenuation, and chlorophyll fluorescence to a depth of 100m was used at 4 month intervals (summer, fall, winter, spring) at various stations in the Bight to examine the seasonal changes in the biological and physical structure of the water column (Lapota et at.…”

“…A light budget was calculated to estimate the contribution of light produced by the various species of bioluminescent dinoflagellates in SDB. Light output from each was measured with a laboratory photometer system by stirring individual cells for 30 sec (Lapota et al 1989, Lapota et al 1992. Mean light output for each species was calculated and then multiplied by the number of cells found in each of the monthly plankton samples.…”

“…While many oceanographic studies have focused on the distribution of bioluminescence in the marine environment (Stukalin 1934, Tarasov 1956, Seliger et al 1961, Clarke and Kelly 1965, Bityukov 1967, Lapota and Losee 1984, Swift et al 1985, Lapota et al 1988, Batchelder and Swift 1989, Lapota et al 1989, Lapota and Rosenberger 1990, Neilson et al 1995, Ondercin et al 1995, Swift et al 1995, little understanding of the seasonality and sources of planktonic bioluminescence in coastal waters and open ocean has emerged. Some previous studies with respect to annual cycles of bioluminescence were severely limited in duration as well as in the methods used to quantify bioluminescence (Bityukov 1967, Tett 1971.…”