Carbon, nitrogen, and chlorophyll a content of green Noctiluca scintillans in the Upper Gulf of Thailand

Noctiluca scintillans, which is common in coastal waters, significantly affects coastal biomass through bloom formation. This study has measured the cellular carbon, nitrogen, and chlorophyll a (Chl-a) content of natural green Noctiluca from the western Upper Gulf of Thailand. The carbon content ranged from 150–556 ng-C cell−1 (mean: 241 ± 132 ng-C cell−1), while nitrogen content varied between 29–47 ng-N cell−1 (mean: 36 ± 6 ng-N cell−1). Chl-a content averaged 9.80 ± 0.78 ng cell−1. Notably, green Noctiluca exhibited higher carbon content than red Noctiluca of identical cell size, potentially because of their endosymbionts.