This week we started seeing a relative increase in the number of dinoflagellates in the samples. Dinoflagellates are a group of phytoplankton that use flagella, long whip like structures, to move around. Alexandrium sp. and Dinophysis sp. are both dinoflagellates. Chaetoceros sp. are at bloom levels again in Eldred Passage and Tutka Bay. Overall, the samples this week have abundant phytoplankton from a diverse number of species.
Additional information, including qualitative analysis of phytoplankton data, is available in the Phytoplankton Update for Jul. 4th – Jul. 9th.