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File:Mixed_phytoplankton_community_2.png · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

EntityQ184755· pop 59· linked from 1,419 articles

phytoplankton

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".

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.

Research

25,359 papers

Phytoplankton-chytrid-zooplankton dynamics via a reaction-diffusion-advection mycoloop model.Journal of mathematical biology · 2024Zhang J, Han X, Wang HDOI: 10.1007/s00285-024-02113-9
Phytoplankton strategies for photosynthetic energy allocation.ReviewAnnual review of marine science · 2015Halsey KH, Jones BMDOI: 10.1146/annurev-marine-010814-015813
Occurrence and biosynthesis of carotenoids in phytoplankton.ReviewBiotechnology advances · 2017Huang JJ, Lin S, Xu W et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2017.05.001
Modelling phytoplankton-virus interactions: phytoplankton blooms and lytic virus transmission.Journal of mathematical biology · 2024Zhang J, Yan Y, Shi JDOI: 10.1007/s00285-024-02093-w
Aerobic methane production by phytoplankton as an important methane source of aquatic ecosystems: Reconsidering the global methane budget.The Science of the total environment · 2024Mao Y, Lin T, Li H et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167864
Geologic controls on phytoplankton elemental composition.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2022Sharoni S, Halevy IDOI: 10.1073/pnas.2113263118
Phytoplankton cell-states: multiparameter fluorescence lifetime flow-based monitoring reveals cellular heterogeneity.The FEBS journal · 2024Harris PD, Ben Eliezer N, Keren N et al.DOI: 10.1111/febs.17237
Mycoloop: Modeling phytoplankton-chytrid-zooplankton interactions in aquatic food webs.Mathematical biosciences · 2024Chen M, Gao H, Zhang JDOI: 10.1016/j.mbs.2023.109134

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Wikidata facts

Image: Phytopla.jpg

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Commons category: Phytoplankton

Sources (4)

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~21 min read

Article

13 sections

Contents

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 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.