OCCURRENCE AND ABUNDANCE OF GREEN‐FLUORESCING DINOFLAGELLATES IN SURFACE WATERS OF THE NORTHWEST ATLANTIC AND NORTHEAST PACIFIC OCEANS 1

• Published in: Journal of Phycology
• Main Authors: Shapiro, Lynda P., Haugen, Elin M., Carpenter, Edward J.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1989
• Subjects: Northwest Atlantic
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.0022-3646.1989.00189.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.0022-3646.1989.00189.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.0022-3646.1989.00189.x

ABSTRACT We have cultured green fluorescing heterotrophic dinoflagellates whose continuous green fluorescence is due to an unidentified compound, probably a flavin, that excites with blue (∼460 nm) light and emits green (∼535 nm) light. No evidence of bioluminescence was found, but we note that compounds with similar fluorescence characteristics have been associated with bioluminescence in other taxa. These cells, all naked gymnodinoids, are widespread and abundant in the Northwest Atlantic and Northeast Pacific Oceans (10 3 –10 5 L −1 ). They comprise 4–100% of the total heterotrophic dinoflagellate component which, in turn, is usually equivalent magnitude to the phototrophic naked dinoflagellate component of the phytoplankton community.