Biodiversity of the Blue Zone - Blue Carbon Reservoir of the Blue Planet - page 43

Table 2.3 Classi cation of phytoplankton on the basis of cell characteristics
Class Common name Area(s) of predominance Common genera

Cyanophyceae (cyanobacteria) Blue-green algae Tropical Oscillatoria ,

Synechococcus

Rhodophyceae Red algae Cold temperate Rhodella

Cryptophyceae Cyptomonads Coastal Cryptomonas

Chrysophyseae Chrysomonads Coastal Aureococcus

Silico fl agellates Cold waters Dictyocha

Bacillariophyceae
(Diatomophyceae)

Diatoms All waters, especially

coastal

Coscinodiscus
Chaetoceros
Rhizosolenia

Raphidophyceae Chloromonads Brackish Heterosigma

Xanthophyceae Yellow-green

algae

Brackish Very rare

Eustigmatophyceae Yellow-green

algae

Estuarine Very rare

Prymnesiophyceae Coccolithophorids Oceanic Emiliania

Prymnesiomonads Coastal Isochrysis

Prymnesium

Euglenophyceae Euglenoids Coastal Eutreptiella

Prasinophyceae Prasinomonads All waters Tetraselmis

Micromonas

Chlorophyceae Green algae Coastal Rare

Pyrrophyceae (Dinophyceae) Dino fl agellates All waters, especially

warm

Ceratium
Gonyaulax
Protoperidinium

Fig. 2.8 Seaweed (Ulva lactuca) on the brick path towards island village on the intertidal zone