Plankton Basics
Tiny organisms that drift in water
What are plankton?
What is the original source of most energy in food webs?
THE SUN
What happens to matter when a zooplankton is eaten?
Its matter becomes part of the predator’s body.
What is the difference between phytoplankton and zooplankton?
How does matter return to the ocean after organisms die?
Decomposers break them down and return nutrients to the water.
Why are plankton important in ocean food webs?
They are the base of the food web and feed many animals!
•What happens to energy as it moves up a food chain?
Some energy is lost at each level
What role do decomposers play in a food web?
They recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem.
How do phytoplankton make their own food?
Using photosynthesis!
Explain how plankton help move energy from the sun to large whales.
Phytoplankton capture sunlight, zooplankton eat them, and whales eat zooplankton.
Name two decomposers
Fungus, bacteria, invertebrates
Why are plankton called "drifters"?
They cannot swim against the current and drift with water