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

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Urchins eat kelp, and the boom in urchin numbers has meant precipitous declines in kelp forests, which are vital for hundreds of other species — from phytoplankton to gray whales. —

Kale Williams, Axios, 29 Jan. 2025 The researchers also took regular seawater samples in which to track the amounts of phytoplankton and chlorophyll present over time. —

Quanta Magazine, 29 Jan. 2025 That dust grabs the organic carbon the phytoplankton released, forming sticky balls called flocs. —

Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 10 Dec. 2024 The experiment yielded encouraging results, as the copepod zooplankton used were unable to distinguish between regular phytoplankton and phytoplankton coated in clay. —

Scott Travers, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for phytoplankton