Date of Submission

5-7-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Department

Marine and Environmental Programs

Advisor

Jean-Paul Simjouw, Ph.D.

Keywords

Macroalgae, Pigments, Community Science, Spectrophotometry, Codium Fragile, Lighthouse Point Park

MeSH

Microalgae, Coloring Agents, Spectrophotometry

LCSH

Algae, Photosynthetic pigments, Spectrophotometry, Lighthouse Point Park (New Haven, Conn.)

Abstract

Algae pigments support the growth of these photosynthetic organisms, converting light energy into chemical energy. Two pigments present in all three groups of macroalgae are chlorophyll a and -carotene, both of which have uses in cosmetics, food, and medicine. This study examined pigment concentrations of collected species at three recreational beaches in the Long Island Sound from November 2025 to February 2026. An opportunistic sampling method was used to implement aspects of community science that could make this project collaborative between scientific industries and the public in the future. Pigments were extracted with ethanol using spectrophotometry, which measures the absorbance of a specific wavelength, and quantified using previously established equations with absorption coefficients and a standard curve made from pure -carotene powder. The highest pigment concentrations were found in the non-native green alga Codium fragile at Lighthouse Point Park in November and December of 2025. High concentrations were also measured in two foundational brown algae, Fucus distichus and Ascophyllum nodosum, as well as the epiphytic red alga Ceramium sp. and the brown alga Petalonia fascia. These are indicative of environmental success, though low pigment values do not mean that a species has no use in industries. Limitations of this work include a lack of confidence in the location a specimen was found when picked out of the swash zone and the short sampling period that may be difficult to recruit community scientists as opposed to the warm summer months when beaches are the most populated.

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