Plankton
Phytoplankton: They are the base of the plankton food chain and feeds off of photons.
Zooplankton: These creatures feed on Phytoplankton, so they must stay in the photic zone to feed. Being plankton they are not good swimmers; they are drifters. To stay in the photic zone they have special adaptions.
Dinoflagellates: They are a type of Phytoplankton that use flagella to help stay afloat.
Ciliates: Use cilia, or hair like extensions to stay afloat.
Other Plankton chain themselves together to gain surface area to stay afloat.
Some use vacuoles in their bodies to help provide buoyancy.
Not all Plankton float in the water some are benthic they are found at the bottom of the water on rocks and sediment.
Other plankton attach themselves to vegetation.
Planktonic, drifting, plankton are the ones who have a vested interest in not sinking. Most zooplankton can move; they undergo a diurnal migration where they go to deeper water during the day and return to the top at night. It is thought that they do this daily migration to escape predation.
Phytoplankton: They are the base of the plankton food chain and feeds off of photons.
Zooplankton: These creatures feed on Phytoplankton, so they must stay in the photic zone to feed. Being plankton they are not good swimmers; they are drifters. To stay in the photic zone they have special adaptions.
Dinoflagellates: They are a type of Phytoplankton that use flagella to help stay afloat.
Ciliates: Use cilia, or hair like extensions to stay afloat.
Other Plankton chain themselves together to gain surface area to stay afloat.
Some use vacuoles in their bodies to help provide buoyancy.
Not all Plankton float in the water some are benthic they are found at the bottom of the water on rocks and sediment.
Other plankton attach themselves to vegetation.
Planktonic, drifting, plankton are the ones who have a vested interest in not sinking. Most zooplankton can move; they undergo a diurnal migration where they go to deeper water during the day and return to the top at night. It is thought that they do this daily migration to escape predation.
- Photic Zone-The depth of water in a lake or ocean that is exposed to sufficient sunlight to photosynthesize.
- Plankton-Small organisms that float or drift in great numbers in bodies of salt or fresh water; a primary food source for many animals, and consist of bacteria, protozoans, algae, cnidarians,tiny crustaceans such as copepods, and many other organisms.
- Cilia-Hair-like extensions found on ciliates that help them move and catch food.
- Surface Area-The total area of all the faces and curved surface of a solid object.
- Density-Mass per unit of volume; a measure of the relative "heaviness" of objects.
Questions:
1. What are plankton?
a1. They're single-celled organisms in the water column.
2. What do plankton eat? What is the difference between phytoplankton and zooplankton?
a2. Plankton eats vegetation in the water. The difference between phytoplankton and zooplankton is that phytoplankton relies on photosynthesis while zooplankton feed on phytoplankton.
3. Why are plankton important?
a3. They are important because they are the base of the food chain.
4. Where would they want to hang out?
a4. They would want to hang out at the bottom of the ocean to avoid predators. They would come up only at night.
5. Why would a plankton want to stay in the photic zone?
a5. They need food, so they need to go the well-lit areas to photosynthesize or eat other plankton.
6. How would a plankton stay in the photic zone?
a6. Some plankton have special adaptations that allow them to stay in the photic zone.
Brainstorm
Plankton could reduce sinking rates by a good combo of a Vacuole, wings, and cilia.
Name of plankton: Fluterlydorris