Phytoplankton samples were collected on May 1, 2024 at Bullock Reach and analyzed in the laboratory shortly after collection. It was a cold and breeze day on Narragansett Bay with cloudy conditions. The qualitative tow net sample had a long filtration time, and the filtrate was a reddish brown and slightly cloudy.
The analysis of the quantitative whole water sample revealed a total of 4,006,000 cells per Liter. The micro flagellates were found at 24,000 cells/L. The most predominant phytoplankton genus was Skeletonema spp. at 1,646,000 cells/L. Other representative genera include Thalassiosira spp., Leptocylindrus spp., and Chaetoceros spp. This week’s featured image is Eucampia spp. (200x phase contrast), a type of diatomic phytoplankton that is often found in the North Atlantic Ocean. This genus is often found in a curved form and in helical chains. This diatom is yellow-brown in color with numerous green chloroplasts.
