Plankton

Projector

Avery

Chloe

Xavier

Neil

Al

Mariah

Omar

Maitsaa

Rowan

Ethan
K.

Kali

Cameron

Danny

Ethan
S.

Ven

Jacob

Lisette

Ryan



Nolan

Hunter

Lena

Plankton!

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​Linnaean Classification

What are plankton?

Plankton are microscopic weakly swimming or drifting organisms.

Plankton are not a single species, but a large group of organisms that fall into two categories;
1. phytoplankton (plants)
2. zooplankton (animals)

Multiple Choice

Phytoplankton or Zooplankton?

• Phytoplankton

• Zooplankton

Multiple Choice

Phytoplankton or Zooplankton?

• Phytoplankton

• Zooplankton

Why are plankton important?

1. Important part of the global carbon cycle

2. Food source (basis of the food web)

3. Produce of oxygen (photosynthesis)

Photosynthesis

Primary producers like plants and algae create energy from light through photosynthesis.
This energy supplies the entire food web as organisms are eaten up the food chain!

Plankton are this energy source for marine ecosystems

Many plankton are primary producers.
- Over 90% of marine primary production (energy produced) is from phytoplankton! The rest is from marine plants and other sources.


- This map shows productivity in the
Oceans. Red and yellow are most
productive, followed by green and blue.
Black is least productive.

Reorder

Reorder the following from lowest food level to highest food level.

• Plankton

• Fish

• Bird

• Seal

1

2

3

4

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4

How do we study plankton?

• Collected with special nets and sampling bottle

• Underwater cameras

• Microscopes

• Satellites
  

Satellites and Plankton

Satellites equipped with color scanners measure the concentration of chlorophyll in the ocean.

• Chlorophyll is an indicator of plankton (think photosynthesis) and can be used to study plankton populations.

• Red and orange indicate higher concentration of chlorophyll, while blue and green represent lower concentrations.

Do organisms spend their entire lives as plankton?

Holoplankton spend their entire life cycle as plankton

• Examples include dinoflagellates, diatoms and krill

​Dinoflagellate

​Diatom

​Krill

Do organisms spend their entire lives as plankton?

• Meroplankton spend only a part of their life cycle drifting

  • As they mature they become nekton (free swimmers) or benthic (crawlers)

  • Examples include fish and crab larvae

• Consumers (including herbivores and carnivores)

• Include microscopic and macroscopic organisms

• May vertically migrate (to a depth of 200m) during the day for protection but resurface at night to feed

Zooplankton

• Producers

• Single cells or chains of cells including the smallest plankton – picoplankton (0.2 -2 microns)

• Remain near the surface

Phytoplankton

Phytoplankton Vs. Zooplankton

How do scientists identify plankton?

Scientists;

• Collect samples and carefully observe their characteristics

• Communicate observations with sketches and photographs

• Today, you're the scientists!

We've all been invited on a NOAA expedition as scientists to observe and classify plankton.

​

Imagine this:

Activity: Identifying Plankton

• You will see 10 slides depicting specimens you found.

  • Note: They are from different tows representing different oceans and different depths.

• Each slide will be visible for 3 minutes.

• As the slides are shown, observe and, using a pencil, sketch each sample on your worksheet. If there is more than one specimen on the slide, choose one to draw. Note body shape, projections, sensory organs, appendages, type of covering and degree of transparency.

Activity: Identifying Plankton

• For each sample, write your prediction about the following two questions:

  • Is the organism phytoplankton (plant) or zooplankton (animal)?

  • Is it holoplankton (spend entire lives as plankton) or meroplankton (spend only part of their lives as plankton)?

• Following the drawing section, use your sketches and resources to identify the specimens. You may work in teams of 2-3 for this part.

Part 1: Draw & Note Characteristics

Specimen #1

Specimen #2

Specimen #3

Specimen #4

Specimen #5

Specimen #6

Specimen #7

​I know this is a super low quality picture.... just note the general shape

Specimen #8

Specimen #9

Specimen #10

End of drawing section. Now, use your drawings to identify your specimens. Work in groups of 2-4.

Specimen #1: Mixed Diatoms

Specimen #2: Amphipod

Specimen #3: Copepod w/ eggs

Specimen #4: Fish Larvae

Specimen #5: Copepods

Specimen #6: Crab Larva

Specimen #7: Dinoflagellates

Specimen #8: Krill

Specimen #9: Moon Jelly

Specimen #10: Octopus Larva