Where Would an Ecologist Find the Most Phytoplankton in a Lake?

Finding the most phytoplankton in a lake is as easy as knowing where the sunlight abundantly penetrates the shoreline and surface of the water. Phytoplankton is a form of algae and comes in numerous varieties. Whether the lake is fresh or seawater, and near agricultural areas or mountains, plays a role in the development of phytoplankton. Biologists consider the seasons, the size of the lake and the geographic location of the lake to determine the best place to find phytoplankton growing. Ecologists and biologists work to protect lake life that depends on healthy phytoplankton for an eco-healthy lake.

Zone One

Life zones exist in lakes. Sunlight and nutrients affect what grows in the different zones. The littoral zone is home to life found in lakes near the shore. Phytoplankton is one of these life forms existing in this most productive area of a lake. Plenty of sunlight, nutrients from land run-off and decaying plant and small marine life contribute to the life sustained in this primary source of lake inhabitants.

Zone Two

Penetrating the surface of the lake to the depths sunlight filters is the limnetic zone. If these deeper depths have enough nutrients to combine with the sunlight, then phytoplankton grows abundantly at this level of lake water.

Seasonal Effects

Phytoplankton in lakes found in temperate zones lessens when summer moves into the colder seasons. Colder seasons means fewer nutrients and sunlight and stunts phytoplankton growth.

Epilimnion Effect

Normally lakes have little movement of water. Mixing of life zones of a lake because of constant winds blowing across the surface (epilimnion) and convection currents (heat transfer from water circulation) can produce phytoplankton sources. The epilimnion effect and convection current effect may be stable enough to allow significant degrees of diverse phytoplankton to thrive in different life zones of the lake.

Degradation of Lakes

Ensuring that ecologists have lakes rich with phytoplankton depends on the rate of degradation of existing lakes. When nutrient-rich soil from people's use of fertilizer becomes too influential on lakes and the streams lakes feed from, unabated algae growth transforms freshwater lakes into weed-choked, stagnant pools. These weeds deplete the oxygen, and fish die. Dead fish promotes toxic algae growth. Suggestions to curb this degradation of lakes point to reduction of soil erosion, restoration of wetlands and encouraging development of safe manure storage processes to reduce the phosphorus run-off that sets the degradation effect into motion.

References

• NASA: Earth Observatory
• Phytoplankton in Fresh Water
• Water Ecology