Plankton counting method with Sedgwick rafter cell.(I am thinking)

Or

Pigment analysis method

Hi Ryan,

Check out this manual on phytoplankton analysis. I would suggest using some sort of counting chamber (e.g. Sedgwick rafter) as the most straightforward method of estimating microalgae abundance and cell numbers. Cheers, Yuriy

I am almost convinced that biovolume proxy to biomass is the best approach, however, chlorophyll a determination might be preobably the easiest and cheapest! Depending on the community and the purpose of the study you can asses pigment extraction and espectrophotomertry determination or else if you have a field handle fluorometer (eg aquafluor for water samples pr benthtorch for periphyton samples) you can have huge amount of samples very easily.

Jespersen, A.M. & Christoffersen, K. (1987) Measurements of chlorophyll-a from phytoplankton using ethanol as extraction solvent. Archiv für Hydrobiologie, 109, 445-454.

Nusch, E. A. 1980. Comparison of different methods for chlorophyll and pheopigment determination. Archives of Hydrobiology, 14:14-36.