FlowCam for Marine & Freshwater Research | Phytoplankton and Zooplankton Analysis

Study phytoplankton and zooplankton with ease. The FlowCam provides a fast, accurate, and easy-to-use alternative to manual microscopy for monitoring phytoplankton biovolume and community composition.

The FlowCam combines the functionality of an imaging flow cytometer and a microscope in a single, powerful research tool: fluorescence analysis, digital images, physical measurements, biovolume calculations, robust statistical analysis, and semi-automated classification of organisms.

Since its inception in 1997 at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, the FlowCam continues to advance imaging flow cytometry with improved optics, more robust analytical software, and faster throughput for rapid, more reliable, more accurate analysis of phytoplankton & zooplankton morphology.

Use the FlowCam to:

Quickly count, capture, and save images of plankton — Process a 1 mL sample of organisms <100 µm in 6 minutes
Obtain size, shape, fluorescence, and concentration statistics in a fraction of the time required by traditional microscopy, typically up to 10,000 images/minute
Use fluorescence to identify and characterize organisms
Calculate biovolume, concentration of organisms, and community size distribution
Sort, filter, and classify organisms by morphology using semi-automated image recognition techniques

Flow Imaging Microscopy: How it works >>

To see if the FlowCam will work for you, submit a sample for free analysis.

Customer Quote:

“For the first time, we were able to see how the kind of phytoplankton influenced the optical properties of the seawater and could immediately examine whether an unusual community was related to the seawater or to the satellite images, thanks to the FlowCam. The FlowCam technology allows us to achieve high-resolution maps of phytoplankton that can be related to satellite data in more meaningful ways than possible before. I think the role of the FlowCam will expand significantly."

--Prof. Joaquim Goes, a biological oceanographer from Columbia University, on the FlowCam's use in NASA's open ocean phytoplankton ground truthing study