Development of optical based characterisation and detection methods for quantitative and qualitative assessment of phytoplankton in their natural environment.

Campbell, Ian

Abstract

The marine environment is an extremely complex and varied ecosystem playing a very important role in the world’s existence. The oceans are a fruitful source of food and host some of the world’s largest mammals. Vegetation in the form of billions of tiny plants and animals called plankton extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which is used in the photosynthesis process to produce carbohydrates, allowing them to grow. This effectively cleans the atmosphere of carbon dioxide and releases oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis, back into the atmosphere, allowing us to survive. It is important to monitor the algae which are important indicators of fish stocks and the amount of carbon dioxide being removed from the atmosphere. It is also important to monitor the effects of pollution on the environment and the algae. Today there are a variety of methods for monitoring algae and pollution in the marine environment but most of these have limitations such as cost, portability, effectiveness and sampling resolution. Most of these systems are also designed for monitoring algae and pollution below the sea surface. There are, however, few, low cost, compact and portable measurement systems available for monitoring phytoplankton or pollution on the sea surface. This project investigates and develops a laser based surface measurement system along with evaluating laser-induced changes within phytoplankton as possible indicators for identifying selected phytoplankton samples. This work is designed to provide a rapid method for characterising and quantifying algae on the sea surface and also provide a method for detecting hydrocarbon pollution around oil production installations.

Citation

CAMPBELL, I. 2000. Development of optical based characterisation and detection methods for quantitative and qualitative assessment of phytoplankton in their natural environment. Robert Gordon University, PhD thesis. Hosted on OpenAIR [online]. Available from: https://doi.org/10.48526/rgu-wt-2807319

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jun 20, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 20, 2025
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2807319
• Award Date: Sep 30, 2000