In the MLML Biological Oceanography lab we study the ecology and physiology of planktonic life in the marine environment. In the broadest sense of the word, plankton is defined as the assemblage of all free floating and weakly swimming organisms that drift with the currents. Under the direction of Professor Nicholas Welschmeyer , our primary research focus is on using plant pigments to study the ecology of phytoplankton and small macro-to microscopic zooplankton. Because of their microscopic size, phytoplankton and microzooplankton are difficult to study, especially at the species level.
Oceanographers often use chemical techniques which can be quite sensitive in identifying plankton.
For example, chlorophyll a is produced only by photosynthetic organisms and therefore can be used as a general marker for phytoplankton biomass. Chlorophyll a is converted to degraded forms called pheopigments when phytoplankton are consumed by zooplankton. Therefore pheopigments can serve as markers for the grazing activity of zooplankton. Photosynthetic organisms produce many pigments other than chlorophyll a . Some of these pigments are unique to specific algal groups.