10 Facts About Phytoplankton

Phytoplankton are the autotrophic components of the plankton community and a key part of ocean and freshwater ecosystems.

Phytoplankton obtain their energy through photosynthesis, as do trees and other plants on land.

Phytoplankton are very diverse, varying from photosynthesising bacteria to plant-like algae to armour-plated coccolithophores.

Phytoplankton are photosynthesizing microscopic protists and bacteria that inhabit the upper sunlit layer of almost all oceans and bodies of fresh water on Earth.

Phytoplankton obtain energy through the process of photosynthesis and must therefore live in the well-lit surface layer of an ocean, sea, lake, or other body of water.

Phytoplankton serve as the base of the aquatic food web, providing an essential ecological function for all aquatic life.

Phytoplankton are a key food item in both aquaculture and mariculture.

Phytoplankton is used as a foodstock for the production of rotifers, which are in turn used to feed other organisms.

Phytoplankton is used to feed many varieties of aquacultured molluscs, including pearl oysters and giant clams.

Phytoplankton is cultured for a variety of purposes, including foodstock for other aquacultured organisms, a nutritional supplement for captive invertebrates in aquaria.