plankto-, plankt-, -plankton +

Consisting of autotrophic algae or algae that is capable of securing its own food as opposed to being parasitic.

Plankton that occurs only in depths to which enough light penetrates to permit photosynthesis.

The part of the plankton that floats by means of cysts or bladders.

Planktonic plant life; typically comprising suspended microscopic algai cells such as diatoms (unicellular organisms) and desmids.

The phytoplankton consist of small plants having very limited powers of locomotion or no movement at all. They are mostly subject to distribution by water movements and they photosynthesize, producing the first level in the oceans' food chain.

Certain planktonic algae move by means of flagella, or possess various mechanisms that alter their buoyancy. Most algae are slightly denser than water, and sink into the sediment of the water.

Phytoplankton are largely restricted to lentic ("standing") waters and large rivers with relatively low current velocities.

Tiny planktonic organisms ranging in size from 0.2 to 2.0 micrometers.

A reference to picoplankton.

At the smallest scale, life on Earth is made possible by humble photosynthetic organisms called phytoplankton, which lie at the base of the ocean food chain and produce most of Earth’s oxygen.

The smallest among them, called picoplankton, make up in number what they lack in size: picoplankton, including bacteria, photosynthetic, and nonphotosynthetic cells, are the most abundant organisms on Earth. Studying them is a challenge, however, since they are too small to see, like dark matter making up most of the ocean universe.

An individual planktonic organism.

Organisms feeding on plankton; such as, most fish larvae and many pelagic fishes.

1. Organisms that accumulate near the surface of water at night but live at lower levels during the day.
2. Aquatic organisms which gather near the surface at night but spend their days in the main water mass.

The branch of biology that studies plankton, especially as the sustenance of planktivorous fish and whales.

It is very probable that the plankton are supporters of the Japanese endeavors to kill more whales and hope that they succeed in eliminating more for their “research”! Some whales eat fish and some species of whales are equipped to eat plankton in great quantities. See more information about plankton and planktivorous whales.

1. Those organisms that are unable to maintain their position or distribution independent of the movement of water or air masses.
2. A collective term for the wide variety of plant and animal organisms, often microscopic in size, that float or drift freely in water because they have little or no ability to determine their own movement; found worldwide in both aquatic and marine environments and representing the basic level of many feeding relationships.
3. A general term for many floating marine forms, mostly of microscopic or minute size, which are moved passively by winds, waves, tides, or currents; it includes diatoms, algae, copepods, and many protozoans, crustacea, mollusks, and worms.

Relating to, being, or characteristic of plankton.

An individual planktonic organism.

In biology, living or thriving in plankton.

A planktonic plant; a member of the phytoplankton.