Phytoplankton - Wikipedia
WEBPhytoplankton are photosynthesizing microscopic protists and bacteria that inhabit the upper sunlit layer of marine and fresh water bodies of water on Earth. Paralleling plants on land, phytoplankton undertake primary production in water, [2] creating organic compounds from carbon dioxide dissolved in the water.
What are Phytoplankton? - NASA Earth Observatory
WEBDerived from the Greek words phyto (plant) and plankton (made to wander or drift), phytoplankton are microscopic organisms that live in watery environments, both salty and fresh. Some phytoplankton are bacteria, some …
Phytoplankton | Definition, Examples, & Facts | Britannica
WEBMar 7, 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 …
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 form the base of virtually every ocean food web. In short, they make most other ocean life possible.
What are phytoplankton? - NOAA's National Ocean Service
WEBJan 18, 2024 · Phytoplankton is the base of several aquatic food webs. In a balanced ecosystem, they provide food for a wide range of sea creatures. Phytoplankton, also known as microalgae, are similar to terrestrial plants in that they contain chlorophyll and require sunlight in order to live and grow.
Phytoplankton | MIT Climate Portal
WEBMar 14, 2022 · Explainer. 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: Definition, Examples, What do they eat - Biology …
WEBJan 21, 2018 · Phytoplankton are a type of microscopic plankton capable of photosynthesis found in oceans, seas, and freshwater, and an essential component of aquatic ecosystems. Phytoplankton can range in size and shape, and since they are photosynthesizing autotrophic organisms, they inhabit waters exposed to sunlight.
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.
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 indirectly, for...
Phytoplankton | Earthdata
WEBOct 25, 2022 · Plankton. Phytoplankton. Find Data. 'Phytoplankton is the plant portion of the plankton, the plant community in marine and freshwater situations, that floats free in the water and contains many species of algae and diatoms. Definition source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. You Might Also Be Interested In. Filter By. All. Articles.
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