plankton vocab

5. Depth: The depth in the water column where the rate of photosynthesis equals the rate of
6. Microscopic, photosynthetic organisms that form the base of the aquatic food chain. Zooplankton: Small animals that feed on phytoplankton or other zooplankton.
12. Larger-sized plankton, visible under a microscope.
13. Small crustaceans that are a common type of zooplankton.
14. other organisms
16. Unicellular algae that can be both phytoplankton and sometimes bioluminescent. Benthic: Pertaining to the bottom of a body of water; organisms living on or in the substrate.
17. A rapid increase in the population of planktonic organisms, often causing discoloration of the

1. Zooplankton that remain in the planktonic phase throughout their entire life cycle.
2. Extremely small-sized plankton, smaller than microplankton
3. Organisms that obtain their energy by consuming other organisms.
4. Free-swimming aquatic organisms, such as fish and squid, capable of active movement.
7. Organisms that produce their own food through processes like photosynthesis.
8. Level: The position an organism occupies in a food chain, indicating its feeding relationship
9. A close and long-term interaction between different biological species.
10. Microscopic organisms that drift or float in aquatic environments.
11. Planktonic organisms that spend their entire life cycle in the planktonic phase. Meroplankton: Planktonic organisms that spend only a part of their life cycle as plankton. Diatoms: A type of phytoplankton with a silica-based cell wall, often shaped like a glass shell.
15. Tide: A bloom of harmful, often toxic, phytoplankton that can lead to the discoloration of water.