aeroplankton
Sign in to savethumb|upright=1.35 |right| Sea spray containing [[marine microorganisms can be swept high into the atmosphere and may travel the globe before falling back to earth.]]
Article
21 sectionsContents
- Overview
- Types
- Pollen grains
- Fungal spores
- Pteridophyte spores
- Arthropods
- Nematodes
- Unicellular microorganisms
- Bioaerosols
- Dispersal
- Transport and distribution
- Over space and time
- Over urban areas
- Clouds
- Airborne microbiomes
- Airborne DNA
- Gallery
- See also
- References
- General reference
- External links
thumb|upright=1.35 |right| Sea spray containing [[marine microorganisms can be swept high into the atmosphere and may travel the globe before falling back to earth.]]
Aeroplankton (or aerial plankton) are tiny lifeforms that float and drift in the air, carried by wind. Most of the living things that make up aeroplankton are very small to microscopic in size, and many can be difficult to identify because of their tiny size. Scientists collect them for study in traps and sweep nets from aircraft, kites or balloons. The study of the dispersion of these particles is called aerobiology.