Phytoplankton - Wikipedia
WEBPhytoplankton (/ ˌ f aɪ t oʊ ˈ p l æ ŋ k t ə n /) are the autotrophic (self-feeding) components of the plankton community and a key part of ocean and freshwater ecosystems. The name comes from the Greek words φυτόν (phyton), meaning 'plant', and πλαγκτός (planktos), meaning 'wanderer' or 'drifter'. [1] [2] [3]
Phytoplankton | Definition, Examples, & Facts | Britannica
WEBAug 8, 2024 · phytoplankton, a flora of freely floating, often minute organisms that drift with water currents. Like land vegetation, phytoplankton uses carbon dioxide, releases oxygen, and converts minerals to a form animals can use.
What are phytoplankton? - NOAA's National Ocean Service
WEBJun 16, 2024 · Phytoplankton, also known as microalgae, are similar to terrestrial plants in that they contain chlorophyll and require sunlight in order to live and grow. Most phytoplankton are buoyant and float in the upper part of the ocean, where sunlight penetrates the water.
Phytoplankton - A Simple Guide - WHOI
WEBAug 20, 2020 · Phytoplankton are some of Earth's most critical organisms and so it is vital study and understand them. They generate about half the atmosphere's oxygen, as much per year as all land plants. Phytoplankton also …
What are Phytoplankton? - NASA Earth Observatory
WEBPhytoplankton are the foundation of the aquatic food web, the primary producers, feeding everything from microscopic, animal-like zooplankton to multi-ton whales. Small fish and invertebrates also graze on the plant-like organisms, and then those smaller animals are eaten by bigger ones.
Phytoplankton: Definition, Examples, What do they eat - Biology …
WEBJan 21, 2018 · Phytoplankton Definition. Phytoplankton are a type of microscopic plankton capable of photosynthesis found in oceans, seas, and freshwater, and an essential component of aquatic ecosystems.
Phytoplankton - MIT Climate Portal
WEBMar 14, 2022 · Phytoplankton are microscopic plant-like organisms that live in the oceans, lakes, and rivers. There are a billion billion billion phytoplankton in the world’s oceans—more than there are stars in the sky. Phytoplankton are hugely diverse, with likely 100 thousand different species.
Phytoplankton - Smithsonian Ocean
WEBPhytoplankton are the engines of the ocean food web. They convert energy from the sun to then use to fuel their bodies. Phytoplankton are the main source of energy for organisms higher up in the food web.
phytoplankton - AMNH
WEBPhytoplankton are microscopic organisms that live in the ocean. They use sunlight to grow and make food. They also produce the oxygen we breathe. Just as plants form the basis for the ecosystem on land, phytoplankton form the basis for the ocean ecosystem.
Ocean Science: The power of plankton | Nature
WEBFeb 29, 2012 · Phytoplankton comprise two main groups: photosynthetic cyanobacteria and the single-celled algae that drift in the sunlit top layers of oceans. They provide food, directly or...
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