Investigating Dinoflagellate Densities at Varying Freshwater Depths
Ainsley Ogletree, AJ Hallihan, Lauren Subramaniam, Gaby Tucker
North Carolina School of Science and Math
Introduction
The NCSSM Biology Pond is home to a wide
diversity of aquatic life, including goldfish, snails,
leeches, and dinoflagellates. This research project
attempted to determine whether or not the presence of
dinoflagellates in the pond varied between the surface
and bottom water levels of the pond. Dinoflagellates
are a subgroup of aquatic protists named after their
distinctive two flagella and are common in both marine
and freshwater ecosystems.
Hypothesis
The population density of the dinoflagellates is
greater at the bottom of the pond than at the surface
of the pond. Higher levels of sediment found at the
bottom of the pond may allow for more hiding places
for the dinoflagellates from predators.
Methods
● Water samples were collected from
the surface and bottom of the NCSSM
Biology Pond at five locations using a
bilge pump.
● Temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH,
and total depth were recorded of each
sample site
● Duplicate samples from each site
were preserved with Lugol’s Solution
in 20 mL scintillation vials
● Dinoflagellates were enumerated a
well slide (0.4mL) at 100x
magnification
● Mean density was calculated for
bottom and surface pond water of
each location
● A Student’s T-test was used to
determine if there was a statistically
significant difference (α = 0.05)
Results
Figure 1. Mean dinoflagellate density ± 2SE in cumulative surface
and bottom pond water samples, p>0.05
Figure 2. Mean dinoflagellate density ± 2SE in surface and bottom
pond water samples at varying locations. p<0.05 for “Hunt”, “ETC”,
and “Lilies”. p>0.05 for “PEC” and “Reeds”.
The mean dinoflagellate densities for every surface larger amount of dinoflagellates near the bottom of
water sample combined and every bottom water
sample combined did not exhibit a statistically
significant difference (p > 0.05).
However, the mean dinoflagellate densities for
samples from the surface and bottom pond water
exhibited different behavior when separated by
sample location. In the “Hunt”, “ETC”, and “Lilies”
samples, there was a statistically significantly greater
dinoflagellate population in the water at the bottom of Citations
the pond when compared to the water at the surface
of the pond.
Measurements of pH, dissolved oxygen
concentration, and temperature were also taken at
each sample location, but this data did not show any
correlation with dinoflagellate population densities.
Results
Approximate depths were measured as well, and
lower depths at sample locations correlated with no
statistically significant differences in dinoflagellate
population densities, while greater depths did
correlate with statistically significant differences.
Conclusions
Although the pond as a whole had no significant
difference in dinoflagellate density between the
surface and bottom pond water, supporting the null
hypothesis, there was wide variation between the
surface and bottom of the pond in separate sample
locations. In the sample locations that were not as
deep, the bilge pump was drawing from
approximately the same water regardless of whether
it was at the pond’s surface or bottom, and there
were no significant differences. Only in the sample
areas greater than 20 cm in depth were the
observed variances in dinoflagellate densities
significantly different.
There was also a large overall contrast in
dinoflagellate population density between the pond
locations. The “Hunt” sample had a maximum of
around 90 dinoflagellates counted in a well slide,
while the “Reeds” samples were generally far over
200 counted. The primary difference between the
high density samples and the low density samples
was the amount of organic material within each. The
the pond in deeper samples could therefore be
attributed to the organic material [1]. Since organic
material is more dense near deeper parts of the
pond, the higher numbers of dinoflagellates in these
areas may support the conclusion that
dinoflagellates prefer high concentrations of organic
material in their habitats.
[1] Djeghri, Nicolas, et al. “Reprint of: High Prey-Predator Size Ratios and
Unselective Feeding in Copepods: A Seasonal Comparison of Five Species
with Contrasting Feeding Modes.” Progress in Oceanography, vol. 177, 2019,
p. 102039., doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2018.11.005.
Canion, Andy Kyle. “COMPARATIVE POPULATION DYNAMICS OF
FRESHWATER DINOFLAGELLATES OF THE GENERA PERIDINIUM AND
PERIDINIOPSIS.” Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College of the University
of Mississippi, Oxford, 2004, pp. 9–10.
Heaney S.I., Lund J.W.G., Canter H.M., Gray K. (1988) Population
dynamics of Ceratium spp. in three English lakes, 1945–1985. In:
Jones R.I., Ilmavirta V. (eds) Flagellates in Freshwater Ecosystems.
Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 45. Springer, Dordrecht
All images created by the authors.