What are plankton? The word plankton comes from the Greek ‘planktos’, which means wandering or drifting. It describes the millions of free-floating organisms living in the ocean and other aquatic ecosystems. Many kinds of organisms make up plankton; some spend their entire life drifting in the upper ocean, others are members of the plankton community for a time before they develop into stationary or free-swimming adults.

There are three main types of plankton: Plant plankton, also known as phytoplankton Zooplankton Bacteria

KINGDOM MONERA

KINGDOM MONERA Bacteria – some are photosynthetic, but the majority feed on dead organisms. Cyanobacteria – a moneran phytoplankton Photosynthetic and can fix atmospheric nitrogen Reproduce by fission Can aggregate to form colonies bacteria - single-cell, no organelles cyanobacteria - blue-green ‘algae’ photosynthesis but no chloroplasts chlorophyll a + phycocyanin produced first O2 in atmosphere photobacteria - bioluminescent in plankton & animal tissues thermobacteria - chemosynthesis convert hydrogen sulfide H2S in hydrothermal vents & hot springs base of aphotic food chains

Bioluminescent Bacteria For centuries, sailors in the Indian Ocean have told stories of seas glowing with a dim, white light at night. Satellite images have now confirmed the appearance of what seem to be bioluminescent bacteria, right where a ship's crew reported seeing the "milky seas" 11 years ago. Scientists say this rare phenomenon could be a way for the bacteria to attract the attention of fish so they can enter their guts and live there.

Cancer Killer Found In The Ocean Marine Biotechnologists Treat Cancer With Mud-loving Ocean Bacteria Biomedicine scientists identified and sequenced the genes of a bacteria called Salinispora tropica. It produces anti-cancer compounds and can be found in ocean sediments off the Bahamas. A product called salinosporamide A has shown promise treating a bone marrow cancer called multiple myeloma, as well as solid tumors.

Protistan phytoplankton Phylum Dinopyhta Dinoflagellates Have flagella Responsible for red tide that interferes with nerve impulses bioluminescent Phylum Chrysophyta Single celled Silica or calcium carbonate internal skeleton 2 marine groups Golden brown algae Diatoms Most abundant Cell wall(frustule) Asexual reproduction Can reproduce one million daughter cells in 3 weeks Plankton naturally sink and are brought up through the water column by mixing and upwellings

Phyto plankton (plant) (free floating) Plant plankton, also known as phytoplankton – single-celled photosynthetic organisms which manufacture food using energy from sunlight.

Zoo plankton (animal) (free floating) Zooplankton – single- and many-celled animals that feed on live plankton.

Phylum Sarcomastigophora Foraminiferans Make up half of all protozoans Mostly marine Have calcium carbonate shells(tests) Mostly benthic or live attached to another organism Radiolarians Entirely marine Internal skeleton of silica Have psuedopods

White Cliffs of Dover – Foram tests or Globigerina

Phylum ciliophora Most abundant ciliate Have cilia Have tentacles that feed Mostly parasitic