Plankton
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Plankton are organisms that drift in water but are unable to actively propel themselves against currents. Marine plankton include drifting organisms that inhabit the saltwater of oceans and the bracki
Marine microplankton and mesoplankton Part of the contents of one dip of a hand net. The image contains diverse planktonic organisms, ranging from photosynthetic cyanobacteria and diatoms to many different types of zooplankton, including both holoplankton (permanent residents of the plankton like copepods) and meroplankton (temporary residents of the plankton like fish eggs and crab larvae). 100 μm is one tenth of a mm
The coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi (μm = thousandth of one mm)
Algae bloom of Emiliania huxleyi off the southern coast of England
Plankton species diversity Diverse assemblages of unicellular and multicellular organisms with different sizes, shapes, feeding strategies, ecological functions, life cycle characteristics, and environmental sensitivities. Courtesy of Christian Sardet/CNRS/Tara expeditions
Phytoplankton
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Phytoplankton are the autotrophic components of the plankton community and a key part of ocean and freshwater ecosystems. The name comes from Ancient Greek φυτόν, meaning "plant", and πλαγκτός, meanin
Plankton
…influence of currents. Plankton are a diverse group, which traditionally were divided into two trophic (feeding) groups: phytoplankton and zooplankton. Phytoplankton (autotrophic plant-like producers such as diatoms and cyanobacteria) synthesize their own food, while zooplankton (heterotrophic consumers such as…
Diatoms are one of the most common types of phytoplankton
A cyanobacteria species (Cylindrospermum sp)
Centric
Pennate