Dinoflagellates are bioluminescent plankton present in both saltwater and freshwater environments. They are an integral part of the food chain, as they are eaten by many species of fish. However, in San Francisco some species of these plankton could be causing problems sooner rather than later. The effects of rising water temperatures due to global warming could potentially allow dinoflagellates blooms to occur more frequently. This is a problem since at least two known species present in the coastal waters of San Francisco are toxic to fish populations there. The result will be the death of some fish species and the shellfish of the area will also be poisoned.
This short video, by Discovery News, explains and shows the phenomena which occurs in San Fransisco:
Many people have never heard of these dinoflagellates, but that could change in the near future. In 2013, a team of biologists and product developers started a successful Kickstarter campaign to sell a new kind of pet. The company behind the campaign is Yonder Biology which was founded on the premise of combining science and art, specifically "'living art' -- art that can grow, renew itself and respond to stimuli." This pet could be a great way to teach kids about photosynthesis and bioluminescence and help make science more accessible to them at a very young age.
The pet contains these dinoflagellates. The pet is left to photosynthesize during the day and will glow at night time, as they do in nature. It is very simple to take care of and they have a lifespan of about 1-3 months. The Dino could be a great first pet for children, much like a goldfish is, teaching them how to care for an organism and some biology along with it.
Carolyn McDonagh (Group B)
Wow what a cool idea and a really interesting read. It will be interesting to see if the idea catches on. A child may not understand, or care about, the difference between one of these and a cheaper toy that glows electronically. Do you have any idea what the cost of making one of these is?
ReplyDeleteI personally think that kids would be intrigued on how these organisms glow. They don't just constantly glow, you have to shake the container to cause them to emit light, so it's different in that regard than just having a light that glows. There's also a companion children's bedtime story that you can buy with the pet that tells children about them. Also, they better they take care of them, the more light they'll emit, so I think children would enjoy taking care of the pet. I'm not sure how much it costs to make one, but they cost $59.99 to buy.
Delete- Carolyn McDonagh
Really cool post. The idea of using them as a pet is fascinating, sorta like any sea monkeys some of us had growing up. You also mentioned that the growing populations of Dinoflagellates were toxic to the fish in their environment, is there anything being done to control the ecosystem there or is it being left alone?
ReplyDelete- Dan Staiculescu
As of right now, these blooms aren't killing fish or poisoning shellfish. The issue is that as the temperature of the water increases the blooms will most likely occur more frequently, thus killing the fish they are toxic to. So, for now there is nothing being done to control anything. The blooms are just being monitored, as stated in the article, "dinoflagellates are perfect for tracking the effects [of rising temperatures] because they are sensitive to water temperature." So, tracking their growth also allows scientists to monitor the rising temperatures.
Delete- Carolyn McDonagh
I have heard about these red tides but didn't know much about them besides that they were some type of algae or plankton. I had no idea that these organisms and the bio luminescent organisms that I have seen in the Caribbean were the same thing, and had no idea that they could have such an effect on fish. Very informative post, great job! The video was a nice touch.
ReplyDelete-Posted by Ashley Condon
Wow, pet Dinoflagellates! Very intriguing. I would have like for you to perhaps talk more about possible population control measures. Also how long has this phenomenon been going on? Are there any trends involved? Lastly, would you consider this a rare phenomenon?
ReplyDelete-Amanda Okpoebo