plankton
Sign in to savethumb|upright=1.5| 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) and meroplankton (temporary residents of the plankton, e.g., fish eggs, crab larvae, worm larvae). 100 μm = one tenth of a mm.]]
AI overview
Plankton are tiny organisms that drift in water, including both photosynthetic forms like cyanobacteria and diatoms, as well as various zooplankton that range from permanent residents to temporary visitors such as fish eggs and larvae. They form a diverse community that is fundamental to aquatic ecosystems, serving as a primary food source and supporting the base of aquatic food webs.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
42 sectionsContents
- Overview
- Microscopic plankton
- Terminology
- By habitat
- Aeroplankton
- Freshwater plankton
- Geoplankton
- Marine plankton
- At the ocean surface
- In deep ocean
- By taxon
- By size
- By trophic mode
- Phytoplankton
- Zooplankton
- Mixoplankton
- Decomposers
- Other groups
- Gelatinous zooplankton
- Ichthyoplankton
- Pseudoplankton
- Tychoplankton
- Mineralized plankton
- By life cycle
- Holoplankton
- Meroplankton
- Ecology
- Food webs
- Carbon cycle
- Great Calcite Belt
- Oxygen production
- Absorption efficiency
- Biomass variability
- Planktonic relationships
- Fish and plankton
- Whales and plankton
- Humans and plankton
- Plankton Manifesto
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|upright=1.5| 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) and meroplankton (temporary residents of the plankton, e.g., fish eggs, crab larvae, worm larvae). 100 μm = one tenth of a mm.]]
Plankton are organisms that drift in water (or air) but are unable to actively propel themselves against currents (or wind). Marine plankton include drifting organisms that inhabit the saltwater of oceans and the brackish waters of estuaries. Freshwater plankton are similar to marine plankton, but are found in lakes and rivers. An individual plankton organism in the plankton is called a plankter. In the ocean plankton provide a crucial source of food, particularly for larger filter-feeding animals, such as bivalves, sponges, forage fish and baleen whales.