Flow cytometry and other optical methods for characterization and quantification of phytoplankton in seawater

New, optical, approaches to automatize and to accelerate the analysis of algae are discussed. Firstly, the application of flow cytometric analysis will be presented. This technique is based on classification of particles in flow by measuring several optical properties per individual particle. Characteristics of the Optical Plankton Analyser, a flow cytometer constructed specifically for the analysis of phytoplankton, will be presented. Two experiments that demonstrate the suitability of this instrument for the analysis of coastal phytoplankton will be presented. Subsequently, the applicability of flow cytometry and other optical approaches to the measurement of phytoplankton, in particular for monitoring purposes, will be discussed. Microscopy, as well as in-situ measurement and optical remote sensing are approaches that each offer specific advantages for the determination of phytoplankton. An optimal and integrated picture of the development of the distribution of phytoplankton species in space and time can be obtained by the combined application of these techniques.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.