What types of plankton live in Narragansett Bay?
Narragansett Bay is home to a variety of plankton. Their abundance changes with the seasons. Phytoplankton bloom in the spring when more than 50 million cells per liter of water can be found in the Bay. Zooplankton, such as copepods, grow as they graze on the abundant phytoplankton. More than 100 zooplankton can be found in one liter of seawater during the spring blooms. Narragansett Bay is home to several hundred different species of plankton. There are differences between the upper and lower Bay. Many oceanic organisms are found in the lower Bay, but not in the upper Bay. The upper Bay has more estuarine and freshwater species and is more productive than the lower Bay. An abundance of nutrients in the Providence River fuels huge blooms of phytoplankton. Some blooms called “red tides” are associated with polluted waters. Phytoplankton The phytoplankton species of Narragansett Bay are mainly diatoms and flagellates. Diatoms are single-celled plants that live alone or in colonies. These
