Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Protozoa and Their Role in Marine Processes held in Plymouth (United Kingdom), 24 July - 5 August 1988.

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Taxonomy.- Taxonomy (46 - or more - protistan phyla) - Session summary.- A taxonomic review of heterotrophic protists important in marine ecology.- Methods.- Methods for the study of marine microzooplankton - Session summary.- Quantitative sampling of field populations of protozooplankton.- The application of image analysed fluorescence microscopy for characterising planktonic bacteria and protists.- Culturing marine protozoa - Session summary.- A method for the cloning and axenic cultivation of marine protozoa.- Pollution.- Pollution - Session summary.- Protists and pollution - with an emphasis on planktonic ciliates and heavy metals.- Effects of saline sewage on the biological community of a percolating filter.- Symbiosis.- Endosymbiosis in the protozoa - Session summary.- Mixotrophy in marine planktonic ciliates: physiological and ecological aspects of plastid-retention by oligotrichs.- Autecology.- Brief perspective on the autecology of marine protozoa.- Trophic Behaviour.- Trophic behaviour - Session summary.- Community Grazing.- Community grazing in heterotrophic marine protista - Session summary.- Trophic behaviour and related community feeding activities of heterotrophic marine protists.- Energetics and Production.- Protozoan energetics - Session summary.- Global production of heterotrophic marine planktonic ciliates.- Marine 'Snow' and 'Fluff'.- Protozoa associated with marine 'snow' and 'fluff' - Session summary.- Protozoa as makers and breakers of marine aggregates.- Mineral Flux.- Mineral flux and biogeochemical cycles of marine planktonic protozoa - Session summary.- Protista and mineral cycling in the sea.- Nutrient Cycling.- Evolving role of protozoa in aquatic nutrient cycles.- Protozoans as agents in planktonic nutrient cycling.- Modelling.- Modelling - Session summary.- Modelling carbon and nitrogen flows in a microbial plankton community.- Workshop Summary and Forward Look.- Status and future needs in protozoan ecology.- List of Participants.

In the summer of 1988, under NATO sponsorship, approximately 80 scientists lived and worked together in Plymouth for two weeks to evaluate the ecological role of protozoa in the sea. Through the convivial surroundings, close working conditions and special facilities that had been brought together for NATO ASI 604/87 a 'melting pot' of ideas was formed, which stimulated the multidisciplinary creativity which is expressed in this book and in a second series of papers which will be published in Marine Microbial Food Webs under the title - "Protozoa and their Role in Marine Microbial Food Webs". Discussions of the role of protozoa in the microbial food web, in the cycling of carbon and nitrogen and the extent to which this web acts as a link or sink to metazoa in the water column were major themes of the ASI. Structured sessions covering oral and poster presentations, field work, model 1 ing, laboratory practicals and demonstrations of techniques such as image analysis and flow cytometry, formed the core of the meeting. Participants took part enthusiastically in the practical sessions developing new concepts and obtaining new insights into their work. The practicals included a 'protozoo' and some beautiful films and videos. Field excursions were made to a range of sites including a unique marine sewage farm at Looe in Cornwall, (Jones this volume). Interactive workshops allowed scientists with no modelling experience to input their results to three simulation models and a flow analysis package.