Name of plankton: Chaetoceros
Where sample was found: Harrington Sound, Bermuda
Project: Scallop Project
Photo credit: Andrew Cogswell, BIOS
What role do these organisms play in the ecosystem: Chaetoceros is an abundant centric diatom found in the marine environment. It is an important phytoplankton capable of fixing carbon.
Interesting facts: Because of high growth rates and contain high concentrations of lipids, Chaetoceros has been used as a potential alga to harvest lipids for biofuels.