plankton

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.]]

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.

Research

40,226 papers

Bioprospecting marine plankton.ReviewMarine drugs · 2013Abida H, Ruchaud S, Rios L et al.DOI: 10.3390/md11114594
Plankton distribution and ocean dispersal.ReviewThe Journal of experimental biology · 2012McManus MA, Woodson CBDOI: 10.1242/jeb.059014
Biofilm dispersion.ReviewNature reviews. Microbiology · 2020Rumbaugh KP, Sauer KDOI: 10.1038/s41579-020-0385-0
Late Cenozoic cooling restructured global marine plankton communities.Nature · 2023Woodhouse A, Swain A, Fagan WF et al.DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05694-5
Plankton response to global warming is characterized by non-uniform shifts in assemblage composition since the last ice age.Nature ecology & evolution · 2022Strack T, Jonkers L, C Rillo M et al.DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01888-8
Studies of marine planktonic diatoms. I. Cyclotella nana Hustedt, and Detonula confervacea (cleve) Gran.Canadian journal of microbiology · 1962GUILLARD RR, RYTHER JHDOI: 10.1139/m62-029
Microbial plankton uptake enhances the degradation of a biodegradable microplastic.Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987) · 2025Schenone L, Capitani L, Lora U et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126252
Planktonic Marine Archaea.ReviewAnnual review of marine science · 2019Santoro AE, Richter RA, Dupont CLDOI: 10.1146/annurev-marine-121916-063141

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Image: Diatoms through the microscope.jpg

Show 3 more facts

Commons category: Plankton
Commons gallery: Plankton
name: plankton

Sources (5)

via Wikidata · CC0

~45 min read

Article

42 sections

Contents

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

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.