Plankton includes plants and animals that float along at the mercy of the sea's tides and currents. Their name comes from the Greek meaning "drifter" or "wanderer." There are two types of …

Nov 6, 2025 · Phytoplankton are primary producers of the ocean—the organisms that form the base of the food chain. WHOI explores the microscopic, single-celled organisms.

Jul 29, 2022 · Jellyfish and other zooplankton are animals that live all or part of their life suspended and drifting in fresh or salt water, rarely come in contact with hard surfaces.

Nov 15, 2024 · The biological carbon pump removes atmospheric carbon by transporting carbon-rich material from surface waters to the deep ocean, aiding climate regulation.

Oct 31, 2024 · Dead animals and marine “snow”— clumps of dead plankton, bacteria, fecal pellets, and other particles rich in organic carbon—sink from surface waters through the …

Sep 11, 2025 · 'Phytoplankton is the plant portion of the plankton, the plant community in marine and freshwater situations, that floats free in the water and contains many species of algae and …

Nov 6, 2025 · Scientists usually divide plankton into three groups that align with major divisions of life. The plant-like organisms are phytoplankton (from phytos, Greek for plant); small animal …

Sep 5, 2024 · Increasing ocean heat is closely linked to increases in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, making the ocean an excellent indicator of how much Earth is warming.

Dec 19, 2024 · The upper layer of the ocean is known as the sunlit, or euphotic, zone. Because water strongly absorbs light, sunlight penetrates only to depths of about 200 meters (656 feet).

Feb 6, 2015 · Plankton is a catchall term (from the Greek word for “drifter”) that includes bacteria and other microbes, single-celled plants, tiny animals, jelly-like animals, and larvae. The vast …