Noctiluca scintillans is an important member of the mesozooplankton in terms of biomass and production in the Seto Inland Sea, Japan. The densities and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) contents of N. scintillans cells were measured. Vertical profiles of N. scintillans cellular activity in the coastal water were determined and the ATP contents were high at middle layers, with a maximum depth of 10 m. ATP contents were low in the surface and lower layers. These results suggest that active N. scintillans cells in subsurface layers with low density play an important role in the coastal ecosystem, and high-density cells in the surface water are not active.

中文翻译：

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浅层海水中低活性高密度夜光藻细胞

就日本濑户内海的生物量和产量而言，夜光藻是中型浮游动物的重要成员。测量了N. scintillans细胞的密度和三磷酸腺苷（ATP）含量。确定了沿海水域中闪烁闪烁藻细胞活动的垂直剖面，并且中层的ATP含量很高，最大深度为10 m。表面和下层的ATP含量较低。这些结果表明，低密度地下层中活跃的闪烁藻细胞在沿海生态系统中起着重要作用，而地表水中的高密度细胞则不活跃。