COSEE Ocean Systems: News
The biological pump - the importance of microscopic phytoplankton
Description: Phytoplankton are microscopic plants that live at the surface of the ocean. There are billions of them in ocean surface waters, which are then grazed upon by millions of zooplankton (including krill), which are eaten by fish, which are eaten by bigger fish, which are eaten by seals and penguins (actually the Adelie penguins eat krill, just like the whales), which are eventually eaten by just a few top predators. Thus, phytoplankton form the base of the marine food web. [Source: NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research)]
URL: https://www.niwa.co.nz/blog/the-biological-pump-%E2%80%93-the-importance-of-microscopic-phytoplankton
Availability: Full Text
Source: NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research)
Publish Date: 2/26/2013
Reading Level: Basic
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