BenthoFluor Kit - Determination of in situ Phytobenthos
... makes the bbe FluoroProbe a measuring instrument for benthic algae
Many species of algae have adapted their nutrient uptake systems enabling them to survive in shallow water close to the shoreline, where sunlight still penetrates to the sea bed. This habitat is home to benthic algae, ranging from the microscopic to the enormous (Giant Kelp). Such flora, attached to the sea floor sediments, play an essential role in primary production.
The European Water Framework Directive (EU-WFD), which came into force in December 2000, stipulates that the ecological status of waterways must be regularly assessed. As a result, it has become obligatory to study the development of benthic communities in order to satisfactorily assess aquatic ecosystems.
Whilst macroscopic algae can be easily observed due to their size, the occurrence of the microscopic benthic algae are difficult to record. The necessity for time-consuming microscopy often hinders effective analysis of benthic algal groups.
Now with the aid of the bbe BenthoFluor, it is possible to analyse benthic algae in-situ and the composition of spectral algae classes. By measuring the amount of red-light fluorescence arising from illumination at different excitation wavelengths, it is possible to determine a quantitative estimate of algal density and its distribution among the different classes. This technique and the necessary algorithm have been well proven for pelagic phytoplankton by extensive application of the bbe submersible FluoroProbe and have now successfully been adapted to measure benthic algae.
