phytoplankton
Sign in to savePhytoplankton () are the autotrophic (self-feeding) components of the plankton community and a key part of ocean and freshwater ecosystems. The name comes from Ancient Greek φυτόν (phutón), meaning "plant", and πλαγκτός (planktós), meaning "drifter, wanderer, roamer", and thus, "plant drifter".
AI overview
Phytoplankton are tiny, plant-like organisms that drift freely in oceans and freshwater, feeding themselves through photosynthesis and forming a foundation of aquatic ecosystems. They matter because they are a key part of how these aquatic systems function and support life.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
13 sectionsContents
- Types
- Ecology
- Diversity
- Growth strategies
- Factors affecting abundance
- Factors affecting productivity
- Role of phytoplankton
- Aquaculture
- Anthropogenic changes
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
Phytoplankton () are the autotrophic (self-feeding) components of the plankton community and a key part of ocean and freshwater ecosystems. The name comes from Ancient Greek φυτόν (phutón), meaning "plant", and πλαγκτός (planktós), meaning "drifter, wanderer, roamer", and thus, "plant drifter".
Phytoplankton obtain their energy through photosynthesis, as trees and other plants do on land. This means phytoplankton must have light from the sun, so they live in the well-lit surface layers (euphotic zone) of oceans and lakes. In comparison with terrestrial plants, phytoplankton are distributed over a larger surface area, are exposed to less seasonal variation, and have markedly faster turnover rates than trees (days versus decades). As a result, phytoplankton respond rapidly on a global scale to climate variations.