SECT. 2] 



ORGANIC REGULATION OF PHYTOPLANKTON FERTILITY 



177 



Table III 

 Production of "Carbohydrates" in Marine Algae" 



a Data from Guillard and Wangersky (1958) ; iV-ethyl carbamate as glucose equivalents, 

 except for Prorocentrum (data from Collier, 1958; as arabinose equiv.). 



b From McLaughlin et al., 1960 ; for extraction of the polysaccharide, see text. 



reaction after the blue-reacting material was eliminated by dialysis. The 

 substance responsible for the blue coloration and fishy odor is apparently the 

 end-product of the hydrolysis of an analog of acetylcholine. 



Brown and red seaweeds produce large quantities of mucilaginous poly- 

 saccharides ; several of them. e.g. alginic acid, agar, etc., are economically im- 

 portant [see papers in: Braarud and Sorensen (1956), and Lewin (1955) for 

 polysaccharides of other marine algae]. These polysaccharides, being utilized 

 by several bacteria as C sources, may be ecologically important ; the specialized 

 microflora which they support probably produces vitamins and other growth 

 factors. 



7 — s. n 



