The Rise and Fall of the Dinos

In this short video, we filmed from below a glass petri dish as we poured PyroDinos into the petri dish.  Check it out and check out our other videos on You Tube

Dinoflagellates are a part of the plankton community. They are also referred to as ‘algae’. PyroDino dinoflagellates are a species known as Pyrocystis fusiformis. These dinoflagellates are marine phytoplankton (plant-like plankton). Our Dinoflagellates are considered plants because they use sunlight as their main source of energy (photosynthesis).

Photosynthesis: Our Dinos, or ‘PyroDinos’ as we call them, use light as their main source of energy. Dinos use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water. Dinos generate oxygen (O₂) as a byproduct. Thus these little Dinos, as a part of the larger plankton community, provide oxygen for us to breathe and help combat global warming by ‘fixing’ carbon (CO₂) by removing CO₂ from the atmosphere. Did you know that plankton provide more than half the oxygen you are breathing right now? A thank you would be nice.

Dinoflagellates are a part of the plankton community and thus are the basis for the Ocean Food Chain. All ocean fish and mammals (including whales & dolphins) rely on plankton directly or indirectly for their food source and energy. Dinos play a role in this food chain by converting light energy into chemical energy (photosynthesis). Unfortunately this puts them squarely at the bottom of the food chain. So save some Dinos by keeping them as pets.

While photosynthesis constitutes a dinoflagellate’s daytime routine. Their nighttime routine (bioluminescence) gets all the attention. These Dinos can either photosynthesize or produce natural light. However they can only do one of these actions at a time and have a daily schedule separating each of these activities. Dinos have an internal biological clock referred to as a Circadian rhythm to help guide them towards the best time for photosynthesis and bioluminescence.