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What is Phytoplankton and Other Questions Answered
I’m often asked by customers what is phytoplankton ? Our planet Earth is made up of 70 percent water from the largest oceans to the smallest lakes. Within these bodies of water are microscopic one-celled organisms called phytoplankton that are essential to life on Earth in so many ways. It comes as a surprise to so many people that the largest inhabitants and the dominant species of the planet - whales and humans, respectively - cannot survive without the smallest residents of the oceans - marine phytoplankton because of the food webs wherein phytoplankton are important.
With such great importance, many questions must be answered about the phytoplankton. This article will hopefully provide some answers for you.
So Just Exactly What Is Phytoplankton?
In scientific circles, phytoplankton is defined as the autotrophic part of the plankton community with hundreds of species discovered and possibly more waiting to be discovered. These are microscopic organisms, which mean that the unaided eye cannot see them, although large communities of phytoplankton can appear as green discolorations in the oceans and other bodies of water.
Said greenish colorations are due to the presence of green chlorophyll within the cells of the phytoplankton. It must be emphasized, however, that not all visible communities of phytoplankton are green because of the different levels of chlorophyll in the cells as well as the presence of other accessory pigments. Thus, phytoplankton communities can appear in colors ranging from light brown to deep green.
In answer to the question of what is marine phytoplankton, it is simply the species most commonly found in the oceans and seas of the planet. These communities of microorganisms are the main source of food for whales, thus, forming one of the most amazing marine food web known to modern science.
Where Do Phytoplankton Live in the Oceans and Seas?
After the question of what is phytoplankton has been answered, the next question is exactly where in the oceans and seas these microorganisms live. Well, virtually all natural bodies of water host these organisms although man has discovered ways to cultivate them in artificial ponds in a process known as algae culture.
Specifically speaking, communities of phytoplankton live in the well-lit surface layer (known as the euphotic zone in marine biology) of the oceans, seas and lakes. This is because phytoplankton must be exposed to sunlight in order to start the process of photosynthesis and, thus, create energy.
What Are the Roles Played by Phytoplankton?
More important than the question of what is marine phytoplankton is the question of the roles played by these microorganisms especially where the well-being of the planet and, consequently of the human species are concerned. For one thing, phytoplankton account for 50 percent photosynthetic activity in the planet, which is more than that of the great Amazon rainforest. As a result, significant parts of the oxygen in the atmosphere are produced by phytoplankton.
According to NASA, marine phytoplankton produces over 50% of the earths oxygen.
For another thing, majority of the food webs in the salt and fresh bodies of water depend on phytoplankton with the notable exception of chemosynthesis. Indeed, as microscopic as phytoplankton might be, life on Earth depends on them.
Suffice to say that the answers to the question of what is phytoplankton open up so much wonderful and important information on the importance of such microorganisms in human life. Our good health may very well depend on consumption of these microorganisms but this is up for discussion in a different article.
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