Ultrastructure, Photosynthetic Pigments, and Nutritional Characteristics of Oceanic Ultraplankton Clones in Culture

真核超浮游生物(1-6+um)有时是光合作用浮游生物中最重要的组成部分，无论是在生物量和初级生产力方面，特别是在深叶绿素最大值(约100米深)方面。组成它的物种的研究很少，原因有两个；除了它们的体积小之外，它们的脆弱性使得大多数物种在常规观察中保存得很差，而且它们的敏感性直到最近才使分离到培养中变得极其困难。我们的超级浮游生物收藏现在包含了大约200个单藻或无菌培养的克隆。我们正在与合作者一起研究(1)光学显微镜、扫描电子显微镜和透射电子显微镜的形态和超微结构，以及(2)光合色素组的高效液相色谱和类胡萝卜素化学技术。这些结果将有助于在分类学上对生物进行定位，无疑将导致新的分类单元、新的分类标准，并可能对一些更高的系统水平进行重大修订。我们还研究了克隆人在培养过程中的营养。有些具有异养或吞噬能力。在特定条件下的生长研究将把对微量元素--铁、锰、锌、硒--的需求与已知的海洋和浅海浮游植物物种的需求进行比较。这些研究，加上其他小组对光合作用行为、其他生理特性、放牧等进行的研究，将使我们更好地了解这个重要植物区系的生态，现在可以进行研究。

The eukaryotic ultraplankton (1-6 + um) is at times the most signigicant component of the photosynthetic plankton, both in terms of biomass and primary productivity, especially in the deep chlorophyll maximum (ca. 100 m depth). The species comprising it have been studied very little for two reasons; besides their small size, their fragility makes most preserve poorly for routine observation, and their sensitivity has until recently made isolation into culture exceedingly difficult. Our ultraplankton collection now contains some 200 clones in unialgal or axenic culture. With collaborators we are studying (1) morphology and ultrastructure by light microscopy, SEM and TEM, and (2) photosynthetic pigment suites by HPLC and techniques of carotenoid chemistry. The results will assist in placing the organisms taxonomically and undoubtedly will result in new taxa, new taxonomic criteria, and possibly major revision of some higher systematic levels. We also study nutrition of the clones in culture. Some have heterotrophic or phagotrophic capabilities. Requirements for trace elements - Fe, Mn, Zn, Se - will be compared to the requirements of known oceanic and neritic phytoplankton species by growth studies under defined conditions. These studies, together with those being carried out by other groups on photosynthetic behavior, other physiological properties, grazing, etc. will give us much better understanding of the ecology of this important flora, now available for study.