Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms that drift in water (or air) but are unable to actively propel themselves against currents (or wind). [1][2] The individual organisms constituting plankton are called plankters. [3] .

Feb 21, 2025 · Plankton, marine and freshwater organisms that, because they are nonmotile or too small or weak to swim against the current, exist in a drifting state. Plankton is the productive base of both marine and freshwater ecosystems, providing food …

Plankton are marine drifters — organisms carried along by tides and currents. Phytoplankton blooms in the Barents Sea, shown in natural color from NASA's Aqua satellite on July 10, 2014. The solid white area in the top right corner is cloud cover. Credit: NASA's Earth Observatory.

Oct 19, 2023 · There are two main types of plankton: phytoplankton, which are plants, and zooplankton, which are animals. Zoo plankton and other small marine creatures eat phyto plankton and then become food for fish, crustaceans, and other larger species.

Aug 9, 2019 · Plankton are a group of marine and freshwater organisms that drift along ocean currents because they are too small or weak to swim against them. Their name comes from the Greek word planktos which means “wandering.”

What is plankton? Plankton are a collection of tiny organisms that live at and beneath the surface of lakes, rivers, ponds, and oceans across the planet.

4 days ago · These microbes thrive on nutrients in seawater and are often photosynthetic. The plankton include a wide variety of organisms such as algae, bacteria, protozoans, the larvae of some animals, and crustaceans. A large proportion of the plankton are protists—i.e., eukaryotic, predominantly single

Feb 2, 2024 · Plankton are the start of the ocean’s food chain. Phytoplankton (a.k.a. plant-type plankton) turn sunlight into energy via photosynthesis and are eaten by zooplankton (a.k.a. animal-type plankton), small fish and invertebrates.

Jan 30, 2025 · Plankton are tiny organisms drifting in oceans, seas, and freshwater. They play a crucial role in aquatic ecosystems. There are two main types of plankton: phytoplankton and zooplankton.

Plankton is the collective name for certain organisms (mostly microscopic) that drift in the oceans, lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water. Plankton have a tremendous importance in the web of life on earth. The name plankton is derived from the Greek word planktos, meaning "wanderer" or "drifter." While some forms of plankton can swim, they ...