PyroDino (dinoflagellate) images

PyroDinos are a marine dinoflagellate classified as Pyrocystis fusiformis. This single cell algae or dinoflagellate can also be called phytoplankton (plant-plankton) because they use the sun's energy to grow, sunlight being their main source of of energy.

PyroDino cells

PyroFarms grows PyroDinos using LED lights and filtered sunlight on their algae farm in Carlsbad California. One PyroDino cells was isolated off the coast of San Diego in 2009. From this one cell all of our PyroDino cultures have been grown.  We estimate to have grown over 20,000 gallons or 76,000 liters of PyroDinos over the past 6 or 7 years. This would be roughly 9,000,000,000 cells.  Yes that is somewhere around 9 billion cells.

PyroDino cells are fusiform (think american football) in shape like their scientific name suggests (fusiformis). The cells are relatively large (for single cell algae) and can reach a length of almost a millimeter.  Thus they can be seen with the naked eye with careful examination.  Here are some images of PyroDino under a microscope using 20x and 40x magnification.  

The following images were taken by our High Tech High Intern for our ocean water pollution study which included ocean water samples from:

Los Penasquitos Lagoon

San Dieguito Lagoon

San Elijo Lagoon

Batiquitos Lagoon

Agua Hedionda Lagoon

Oceanside Jetty

Oceanside Harbor

More information on PyroDinos HERE

Buy PyroDinos HERE