Bio 125: MARINE BIOLOGY (Dr. Paddack) SPRING 2017 Lab 10: Kelp Holdfasts Page 1 of 7 NAME: __________________________________________ LAB PARTNERS: _______________________________________________________________ KELP HOLDFASTS Objectives: 1. Observe the structure of giant kelp holdfasts and recognize how that structure helps the kelp to survive. 2. Examine how holdfast structure increases biodiversity in a kelp forest. 3. Identify and classify organisms living in holdfasts. 4. Investigate one organism found in/on a holdfast and present your findings to the class. Materials: 1. Dissecting scope 3. Macrocystis pyrifera holdfast 2. Sorting dishes 4. Probes, tweezers NOTE: This lab will get messy. You are expected to fully clean your lab area and lab sinks before you leave. Points WILL be deducted if the lab benches/sinks/floors are not left as you found them. Introduction Macrocystis pyrifera (giant kelp) is a very important organism on the west coast of North America. These brown algae are one of the largest and fastest growing algal species in the world. When conditions are just right in late spring (increasing sunlight + high nutrient concentrations), the giant kelp can grow 2-­‐3 feet in a day. This species lives subtidally to ~ 100 feet depth and usually occurs in large numbers, thus forming a kelp bed/forest. The kelp forest is an ecosystem creating biogenic habitat – all parts of the kelp plant provide refuge for many species of fish and invertebrates, food (directly and indirectly), and a substrate for attachment. Ø Draw a diagram of a kelp plant-­‐ label the substrate, holdfast, haptera, stipes, fronds, & pneumatocysts. Add an understory and turf algae – label the three layers of the kelp forest: canopy, understory, turf. Like all the macroalgae that live along shorelines, this plant is attached to the bottom by a structure called a holdfast. The holdfast is not a root, as roots absorb and conduct water, as found in land plants. The holdfast of Macrocystis is hapteroid in form (composed of many intertwined fingerlike branches called haptera). The spaces between the haptera become homes for many delicate and/or juvenile creatures. The dissection of a large holdfast yields an incredible diversity of species. Each Macrocystis Bio 125: MARINE BIOLOGY (Dr. Paddack) SPRING 2017 Lab 10: Kelp Holdfasts Page 2 of 7 holdfast has an average life of about 5 years. Reaching football size in one year, the holdfast of a 5-­‐year-­‐
old Macrocystis plant can be 3 feet or more across. By that time, the central area of the original attachment may be decayed due to lack of water circulation and the holdfast can be easily ripped from the substrate during a storm or if there is a large swell. The holdfast is especially easy to rip up if the alga has grown large with many stipes and fronds). Most Macrocystis kelp plants are washed up on the beach by the waves after 5 years or so, but a few have lasted as long as 20 years. During its life, the Macrocystis plant produces many stipes that are buoyed up to the surface by the pneumatocysts of the fronds. This brings the fronds closest to sunlight. Upon reaching the surface the stipes and fronds continue to grow along the surface thus forming a 'kelp canopy'. This 'canopy' can be very dense at times and can change the physical oceanography of the kelp forest area. Laboratory Exercise Today each group will receive a portion of a large Macrocystis holdfast. 1. Holdfast diversity. a. Carefully pull apart the haptera of the holdfast portion in your tray. b. Put the organisms in clean seawater in the fingerbowls provided, sorting as you go (all snails in one bowl, crabs in another, starfish in another, etc.). c. After sorting, try to identify your organisms using the checklist below. Check off the ones you have & keep count of the how many you find. Ask me or consult the books for those you can't figure out. If you find ones not on the list, add them to the rows at the end. Holdfast Inhabitant Checklist Type of Phylum Class Scientific Name (Common Feeding Quantity organism Name), description mode Sponge Phylum Porifera Filter feeder Anemone Phylum Cnidaria Class Anthozoa Anthopleura elegantissima Filter feeder (aggregating anemone) Epiactis prolifera Filter feeder (proliferating anemone) Pachycerianthus Filter feeder (mucus tube anemone) Hydroid Phylum Cnidaria Class Hydrozoa Plumularia Filter feeder Flatworm Phylum Stylochus tripartitus (grey Carnivore Platyhelminthes speckles) Other (describe) Carnivore Peanut worm Phylum Detritivore Sipunculoidea Ribbon worm Phylum Nemertea Baseodiscus punnetti (red Carnivore w/ cream colored belly) Tubulanus sexlineatus Carnivore (brown/red, white bands) Segmented Phylum Annelida Class Polychaeta Myxicola Filter feeder worm (green fan worm) Anaitides Carnivore (green paddle worm) Nereis (jaw worm) Carnivore Chaetopterus (parchment Filter feeder tube worm) Segmented Phylum Annelida Class Polychaeta Amphitrite (red gills, long Filter feeder Bio 125: MARINE BIOLOGY (Dr. Paddack) SPRING 2017 Lab 10: Kelp Holdfasts Type of organism worm (con’t) Phylum Chitons Phylum Mollusca Snails Phylum Mollusca Limpets Phylum Mollusca Limpets Phylum Mollusca Class Scientific Name (Common Name), description white tentacles) Arctonoe (scale worm) Phragmatopoma (sand grain tube worm) Diopatra (trash tube worm) Thelepus crispus (terrebellid worm) – long white tentacles Aphrodite aculeate (sea mouse) Cirriformia (red tentacles) Unidentified polychaete Class Mopalia muscosa Polyplacophora (mossy chiton) Callistochiton crassicostatus Class Gastropoda Acanthina spirata Amphissa versicolor (variegated amphissa) Calliostoma caniculatum (channeled topshell) Calliostoma tricolor (three-­‐
colored top shell) Cerithidea californica Conus californicus (California cone) Crepidula (slipper shell) Cypraea spadica (chestnut cowrie) Epitonium tinctum (wentletrap) Kelletia kelleti (Kellet’s whelk) Megathura crenulata (giant keyhole limpet) Miter idae (Ida's mitre) Mitrella carinata (dove shell) Nassarius (nassa) Norissia norissi (Norris shell) Notacmaea incessa (seaweed limpet) Olivella biplicata (olive shell) Thais marginata Page 3 of 7 Feeding mode Quantity Carnivore Filter feeder Filter feeder Detritivore Carnivore Filter feeder Filter feeder Herbivore Herbivore Carnivore Omnivore Omnivore Detritivore Carnivore Filter feeder Carnivore Carnivore Carnivore Carnivore Carnivore Detritivore Detritivore Herbivore Herbivore Detritivore Carnivore Bio 125: MARINE BIOLOGY (Dr. Paddack) SPRING 2017 Lab 10: Kelp Holdfasts Type of organism Phylum Class Sea Slug (nudibranch) Phylum Mollusca Subclass Opistobranchia Clam Phylum Mollusca Class Bivalvia Scallop Phylum Mollusca Class Bivalvia Scallop Phylum Mollusca Class Bivalvia Mussel Octopus Phylum Mollusca Phylum Mollusca Class Bivalvia Class Cephalopoda Crab Class Crustacea Phylum Arthropoda Phylum Arthropoda Shrimp Class Crustacea Phylum Arthropoda Amphipod Isopod Sea Star Phylum Echinodermata Class Asteroidea Crab Class Crustacea Page 4 of 7 Scientific Name (Common Name), description Lamellaria diagoensis (shell covered by orange mantle) Doriopsilla albopunctata Feeding mode Carnivore Quantity Carnivore Triopha catalinae Cadlina (white with black rhinophores) Dialula Navanax Kellia laperousii (white leaping clam) Lima hemphilli (file shell) Leptopecten monotimeris (kelp scallop) Chlamys (pink swimming scallop) Mytilus spp. (mussel) Octopus bimaculoides (two spot octopus) Octopus rufuscens (red octopus) Cancer spp. (cancer/rock crab) Loxorhynchus crispatus (decorator crab) Loxorhynchus grandis (spider crab) Opisthopus (pea crab) Pachygrapsus crassipes (lined shore crab) Pagurus spp. (hermit crab) Paraxanthias spp. (pebble crab) Petrolisthes spp. (flat crab) Crangon spp. (broken back shrimp) Alpheus (pistol shrimp, snapping shrimp) Heptacarpus spp. (red-­‐
banded, transparent) regular shrimp amphipods isopods Patiria miniata (bat star) Carnivore Carnivore Henricia leviscula (blood star) Carnivore Carnivore Filter feeder Filter feeder Filter feeder Filter feeder Carnivore Carnivore Carnivore Scavenger Scavenger Scavenger Scavenger Scavenger Scavenger Scavenger Scavenger Carnivore Scavenger Scavenger Scavenger Scavenger Omnivore Omnivore
Bio 125: MARINE BIOLOGY (Dr. Paddack) SPRING 2017 Lab 10: Kelp Holdfasts Type of organism Sea Star Phylum Class Class Asteroidea Phylum Echinodermata Phylum Echinodermata Sea urchin Class Echinoidea Phylum Echinodermata Sand dollar Class Echinoidea Sea Cucumber Phylum Echinodermata Phylum Echinodermata Sea Cucumber Phylum Echinodermata Class Holothuroidea Tunicate Phylum Chordata Subphylum Urochordata Phylum Chordata Class Ascidiacea Brittle star Fish Page 5 of 7 Scientific Name (Common Name), description Pisaster giganteus (knobby starfish) Ophioderma (serpent star with smooth arms) Ophiopteris (flat, black spiny) Ophiothrix (spiny brittle star) Ophioplocus (smooth brittle star) Strongylocentrotus purpuratus (purple urchin) Strongylocentrotus franciscanus (red urchin) Lytichinus pictus (white urchin) Dendraster excentricus (sand dollar) Cucumeria (pink or peach colored) Eupentacta (white with black spots cucumber) Leptosynapta albicons (clearish cucumber) Pachythyone rubra (red cucumber) Parastichopus (brown cucumber) Sea squirts Feeding mode Omnivore
black eyed goby Carnivore Class Osteichthyes kelp fish snail fish Cling fish Carnivore Carnivore Carnivore Blue-­‐banded goby Carnivore Class Ophiuroidea Class Holothuroidea Quantity Filter feeder Filter feeder Filter feeder Filter feeder Herbivore Herbivore Carnivore Filter feeder Filter feeder Filter feeder Filter feeder Filter feeder Filter feeder Filter feeder Bio 125: MARINE BIOLOGY (Dr. Paddack) SPRING 2017 Lab 10: Kelp Holdfasts Page 6 of 7 Diversity Questions 1. What is the function of a holdfast? 2. Total number of individuals in your sample __________ Total number of filter feeders in your sample __________ Percent of total __________ Total number of herbivores in your sample __________ Percent of total __________ Total number of carnivores in your sample __________ Percent of total __________ Total number of omnivores in your sample __________ Percent of total __________ Total number of scavengers in your sample ___________ Percent of total __________ Total number of detritivores in your sample __________ Percent of total __________ 2. What is the most common feeding mode of the most numerous organisms in the holdfast? Why do you think this mode is so common? 3. How many different phyla were represented in your sample today? 4. What role does the Macrocystis holdfast play in kelp forest ecosystems? 5. Mini-­‐Creature Feature. Once all organisms are sorted, work in a 2-­‐person team & select 1 organism and spend time observing it carefully. You will conduct a short presentation about your organism to the class. a. Type/Name of organism: b. Drawing or description of organism noting its distinct features that you think make it successful in this habitat. c. Use a hand lens or dissecting scope to carefully observe & draw/describe its mouth. What organisms do you think it eats? d. Is it mobile? If so, how does it move? Bio 125: MARINE BIOLOGY (Dr. Paddack) SPRING 2017 Lab 10: Kelp Holdfasts Page 7 of 7 3. Notes on creature features from other teams: When you are done please follow these clean up instructions before answering the rest of the questions: • Put all hapteroid waste in the large trash can -­‐ wipe white tray with towel before you rinse. • Separate animals into labeled and iced containers into the cool, clean water. • Pour dirty water down the drains but be careful not to let animals or holdfast waste clog the drains. You can pour the water through the aquarium nets by the sinks to avoid problems. • Clean sinks after draining. • Rinse bowls and white tray and return to your table where you found them.