Plankton are tiny organisms that drift or float in the waters of seas, lakes, and rivers. They can be either autotrophs, which produce their own food through photosynthesis (phytoplankton like diatoms and dinoflagellates), or heterotrophs, which consume other organisms for food (zooplankton like tiny crustaceans). Phytoplankton are the base of the oceanic food web and are found in the photic zone where there is enough sunlight for photosynthesis. Some phytoplankton can bloom rapidly and be dangerous. Plankton play an important role in marine ecosystems.

1. What Do You Really Know About Plankton?
Name means:
“Drifters” or
“Wanderers”
So. . .are they
autotrophs or
heterotrophs?
They can be
either one!

2. Autotrophs vs. Heterotrophs
Most autotrophs use sunlight to make energy
6 H20 + 6 CO2 +solar energy--> C6H12O6
+ 6 O2
Heterotrophs eat autotrophs and other heterotrophs
to obtain energy

3. Who are the Marine Autotrophs?
Tiny marine plants called Phytoplankton–
producers in the oceanic food web

4. Different wavelengths penetrate to different depths, So notice that all
wavelengths other than blue get absorbed in the water above 100 m
Plankton

5. Where are Phytoplankton found?

6. Phytoplankton are found in the photic
zone (upper part of the ocean)

7. Weird Phytoplankton Fact:
Some phytoplankton can be very dangerous when they
“bloom” (reproduce rapidly)

8. Phytoplankton
Diatoms & Dinoflagellates
Silica-glassy
case

9. Phytoplankton cont.
Diatoms
-common in colder waters
-silica based bodies (glassy) (siliceous)
-when they die and sink, form Diatomaceous ooze
Dinoflagellates
-common in warmer waters
-two tails (why?)
-some light up (bioluminescence)
-some live symbiotically with corals (Zooxanthellae)
-when they die and sink, form cysts and can cause harmful
algal blooms (HAB’s)

10. Who are the Marine
Heterotrophs?
(Not always) tiny marine animals called Zooplankton–
consumers in the oceanic food web

11. Reminder: Zooplankton are not always
tiny, but they are drifters!

12. Typical Marine Food Web:

13. More Vocabulary
Plankton can be divided into lifestyles:
1)Meroplankton , which merely spend SOME of
their lives as drifters
and
2) Holoplankton, which spend their WHOLE lives
drifting

14. Guess what these Meroplankton “Grow Up” to be”
and what they do when they’re done with the
“drifter” lifestyle

15. How do we “hunt” for plankton?

16. So is Plankton from
Sponge Bob Zooplankton
or Phytoplankton?