Seasons in the Bay

As the warm weather arrives at last, so do the dinoflagellates! For the first time in months, drumstick-shaped Ceratium appeared in the plankton sample collected at Pier 15. Dinoflagellates, which can swim up and down in the water column in search of nutrients, favor the warm and calm conditions common in the fall months.

This work is part of the Ocean Observatory Project, funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.