Phytoplankton

Thalassionema nitzschioides is a species of phytoplankton that can live in both the neritic and photic zones where they will be able to access the sunlight. They also tend to have greater population in coastal systems. They do not however, live in the coastal systems of the poles due to the temperature of the water. The optimal temperature for this species is 15 ℃ or 60 ℉. The average temperature of coral reefs is 18℃, making this ecosystem a viable place for them to live.

This species is most often arranged in either a star-shaped pattern or zigzag chain as seen in the pictures below.

Thalassionema nitzschioides is a photosynthetic organism. This means that it produces its own food using light, carbon dioxide and water. As a result of this process, oxygen is released. So, the phytoplankton's role in the ecosystem is to produce oxygen which can then be used by all of the other nonphotosynthetic organisms both in the ocean and on land.

This species of phytoplankton reproduces both asexually and sexually. When the cell divides, it uses a portion of the original epitheca to create the epitheca of the two daughter cells. Then, shortly after, each cell is able to make its own hypotheca, which is the lower portion of the cell. The resulting cells are fertile. The problem with this is that each time reproduction occurs, the two new cells become smaller and smaller each time. Consequentially, there needs to be a way to restore the size of the cells. This is when the sexual reproduction occurs. As a result of the sexual reproduction a new cell is formed, called an auxospore. The auxospore is usually different in its size and structure, but it is used to form an initial cell with a new frustule. The resulting cell would be able to reproduce asexually because it has returned to a normal size.

This species, like other phytoplankton, have evolved and adapted to their environment in such a way they are able to increase their surface area, while at the same time limiting their volume. This adaptation allows them to avoid sinking. This is important because if they were not able to stay floating, they would not be able to take in the sunlight necessary for them to photosynthesize.

Eucampia zodiacus is a species that also lives in the photic and neritic zones. They grow in greater numbers in warm water and they will be few in number, if any, in the polar regions. They can survive in a temperature range of -2℃ to 29℃ or 28℉ to 84℉, but the temperate to warmer areas support their growth better.

Unlike the previous species, Eucampia zodiacus is centric and not pennate.

This species, like the previous, is photosynthetic, making its role in the ecosystem to produce oxygen.

Eucampia zodiacus generally blooms in the winter and into the spring. This bloom can be harmful to some aquacultured seaweed because it uses up a large amount of the nutrients, leaving very little for the seaweed to utilize.

This species also reproduces sexually and asexually.

Eucampia zodiacus has also made similar adaptations to the Thalassionema nitzschioides to help it stay closer to the surface where there is more light available.