Phytoplankton
this pigment gives monster phytoplankton their green color and lets them photosynthesize
what is chlorophyll?
this tiny shrimp-like crustacean is the primary food of many baleen whales
what is krill?
in most marine foods chains, phytoplankton occupy this base level
what are primary producers?
what is plankton?
phytoplankton absorb this greenhouse gas during photosynthesis
what is carbon dioxide or cO2?
phytoplankton with glass-like shells made of silica are called this
what are diatoms?
many zooplankton are this term meaning they drift and cannot swim against currents
what is planktonic?
this term describes organisms, like many whales, that filter tiny plankton from water to eat
what is filter feeding?
some plankton called dinoflagellates create this glowing nighttime ocean phenomenon
what is Bioluminescence?
the sinking of dead plankton and waste carries carbon to the deep ocean in this named pump
what is the biological pump?
phytoplankton produce roughly this fraction of Earth's oxygen
what is 50% or half?
baby crabs, fish, and other animals that are only temporarily planktonic are called this
what is meroplankton?
small fish like anchovies and herring that eat plankton and feed larger predators are called this
what are forage fish?
thoss plankton category includes bacteria and is the smallest, most numerous kind
what is picoplankton?
warmer, more acidic oceans can make it harder for shelled plankton to build this mineral structure
what is calcium carbonate?
this process lets phytoplankton convert sunlight and CO2 into energy, just like land plants
what is photosynthesis?
the jelly like zooplankton pulses through water using a ball-shaped body
what is jellyfish?
even there largest animal ever, the blue whale, survives mainly by eating this tiny food source
what is krill?
barrel shaped pumps water through its body to filter-feed and can clone itself
what is salp?
scientists track this green pigment from satellites to estimate phytoplankton abundance worldwide
what is chlorophyll?