Flow cytometry on a solar-powered buoy

Remotely controlled

The researchers from the Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), Aix-Marseille University were the first to place a flow cytometer on a moored solar-powered buoy EOL (OVLFR). Throughout the 2 months deployment the CytoSub was controlled remotely. Resulting data was transferred via WIFI connection on a distance of 1.7 km. With this innovative approach, the researchers observed influence of wind, precipitation and phytoplankton community structure on the development of a spring bloom. Data collected every 2 hours showed phytoplankton community dynamics related to the daily cell cycle.

Help Shape a High- Frequency Plankton Observation Guide

To support harmonisation across the community, Dr. Veronique Creach (Cefas) is developing a Terms of Reference (TOR) within the ICES Working Group on Phytoplankton and Microbial Ecology (WGPME): “Create a guide for determining consistent plankton observations at high frequency.”

High-frequency flow cytometry and imaging are increasingly used to characterise phytoplankton diversity, including community cell-size structure. This approach aligns with the GOOS-edited (2025) Essential Ocean Variable Specification Sheet and supports higher-order products such as Phytoplankton Functional Types. As autonomous, high-sampling deployments expand, shared best practices for
collection, measurement, and analysis are essential.

To support harmonisation across the community, we are developing a Terms of Reference (TOR) within the ICES Working Group on Phytoplankton and Microbial Ecology (WGPME): “Create a guide for determining consistent plankton observations at high frequency.”

Who we’re looking for: CytoBuoy users (any platform or configuration).
What to share: sampling workflows, calibration/QA approaches, processing pipelines, metadata practices, and lessons learned from autonomous/high-frequency deployments.
Why participate: help establish consistent methods and improve
comparability across datasets and regions.

If you use a CytoBuoy instrument and would like to contribute, please contact Dr Veronique Creach (veronique.creach@cefas.gov.uk) or Nicole Poulton (npoulton@bigelow.org). A brief note describing your instrument configuration and use case is enough to get started.