Morphometric forms, biovolume and cellular carbon content of dinoflagellates from polluted waters on the Karachi coast, Pakistan

Abstract

19-25Present   study reports new information on the biovolume and carbon biomass estimates for dinoflagellates from Manora Channel, Karachi coast, Pakistan. Biovolume per cell was calculated using the geometric shape of dinoflagellates at species level. Both thecate and athecate species were examined under light and scanning electron microscope.  A total of 45 species were measured and their cell size was ranged between 20-450<span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family: " times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";mso-bidi-font-family:="" "times="" roman";mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;="" mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="" lang="EN-US">µm.  Geometric forms of the species were seven classed into as ellipsoidal, spherical, double cone shape, prolate sphere, cone and half sphere, “cone+3 cylinder” shape, “ellipsoidal + 2 cone+ cylinder” shape, “cylinder+ cone” shaped. Total biovolume ranged from 3.743 <span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family: " times="" new="" roman";mso-bidi-font-family:arial;mso-ansi-language:en-us;="" mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="" lang="EN-US">×103 to 2.2 <span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial; mso-fareast-font-family:" times="" new="" roman";mso-bidi-font-family:arial;="" mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="" lang="EN-US">×105 µm3 cell-1 and estimated cellular carbon content per cell ranged from 397 × 102 to 26.5 x 104 pg C cell-1.  Carbon and biovolume relationship was significant for thecate species which can thus be used for carbon flux studies.  </span