Are zooplankton and phytoplankton the same?

There are two main types of plankton: phytoplankton, which are plants, and zooplankton, which are animals. Zooplankton and other small marine creatures eat phytoplankton and then become food for fish, crustaceans, and other larger species.

Do phytoplankton and zooplankton eat each other?

Like plants on land, phytoplankton perform photosynthesis to convert the sun’s rays into energy to support them, and they take in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. Most zooplankton eat phytoplankton, and most are, in turn, eaten by larger animals (or by each other).

Is there any difference in the plankton occurring in freshwater and seawater?

Answer: Plankton can be found in saltwater and freshwater. Very clear water usually has less plankton than water that is more green or brown in color.

What distinguishes phytoplankton from other kinds of plankton Why are phytoplankton important?

Phytoplankton are microscopic plants that form the base of the marine food chain. They’re also important to life on land: phytoplankton produce more than half of Earth’s oxygen supply. Zooplankton are small protists or metazoans (e.g. crustaceans and other animals) that feed on the phytoplankton.

Why are there more zooplankton than phytoplankton?

Because phytoplankton depend on the sun for their food, they tend to live near the surface of the water where there is plenty of sun. Zooplankton, on the other hand, often remain in the deeper parts of the water where there is little sunlight and travel to the surface during the night to feed.

What do you understand by phytoplankton?

Derived from the Greek words phyto (plant) and plankton (made to wander or drift), phytoplankton are microscopic organisms that live in watery environments, both salty and fresh. Like land plants, phytoplankton have chlorophyll to capture sunlight, and they use photosynthesis to turn it into chemical energy.

What’s the difference between plankton phytoplankton and zooplankton?

As phytoplankton are plants, they obtain their energy through the conversion of sunlight in photosynthesis and pull nutrients from the water around them. Zooplankton generally feed upon other plankton, including phytoplankton and zooplankton, along with bacteria and various types of particulate plant matter.

What is the main difference between plankton and phytoplankton?

Their name comes from the Greek meaning “drifter” or “wanderer.” There are two types of plankton: tiny plants–called phytoplankton, and weak-swimming animals–called zooplankton. Some are babies that will grow into strong-swimming, non-planktonic adults. Others will remain plankton for their entire lives.

What are the characteristics of zooplankton?

General characteristics The zooplankton include animals suspended in water with limited powers of locomotion. Like phytoplankton, they are usually denser than water, and constantly sink by gravity to lower depths.

What are plankton is there any difference in the plankton occurring in freshwater and seawater?

Answer: Freshwater phytoplankton, usually rich in green algae, also includes diatoms, blue-green algae, and true flagellates. In the oceans, phytoplankton biomass rises and falls according to multiyear cycles and appears to be sensitive to changes in sea surface temperatures, climate change, and ocean acidification.