phytoplankton

noun

phy·to·plank·ton ˌfī-tō-ˈplaŋ(k)-tən

-ˌtän

plural phytoplankton also phytoplanktons

: minute aquatic photosynthetic organisms (such as dinoflagellates, diatoms, and cyanobacteria) : photosynthetic plankton of freshwater or marine environments

Twenty to 40 different species of phytoplankton … can coexist within a single cubic centimeter of water, all vying just for light and a handful of nutrients.—

O. Baker

Phytoplankton—myriad small, mostly unicellular algae and bacteria that occupy the surface waters of seas and lakes—dominate aquatic primary production, and over time they have radically altered Earth's atmosphere.—

Robert Riding

Phytoplankton form the foundation of marine food chains, and their seasonal blooms are responsible for more than half the photosynthesis, and the resulting production of oxygen, that occurs on Earth.—

Robin George Andrews

Antarctic krill are thumb-sized crustaceans that feast on drifting phytoplankton …—

Usha Lee McFarling

compare zooplankton

phytoplanktonic

ˌfī-tō-plaŋ(k)-ˈtä-nik

adjective

phytoplanktonic species

a phytoplanktonic bloom

Examples of phytoplankton in a Sentence

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In an attempt to address this, the USGS researchers corrected for these kinds of factors when developing the algorithm, although their model becomes less accurate when unusual components are present—such as a bloom of a specific phytoplankton species or a rare kind of dark volcanic seafloor. —

Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024 Spreading iron across the ocean helps phytoplankton to grow and consume CO2, yet these organisms would also consume other nutrients, which could possibly starvesea life. —

Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 24 Sep. 2024 On average, phytoplankton are only five to 10 percent heavier than seawater. —

Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 17 Oct. 2024 One species of bioluminescent phytoplankton called Pyrocystis noctiluca does this by ballooning six times its normal size. —

Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 17 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for phytoplankton