Plankton Vocabulary

2. Larger-sized plankton, visible under a microscope.
4. A rapid increase in the population of planktonic organisms, often causing discoloration of the water.
5. The position an organism occupies in a food chain, indicating its feeding relationship
8. Organisms that obtain their energy by consuming other organisms.
10. Extremely small-sized plankton, smaller than microplankton.
15. Organisms that produce their own food through processes like photosynthesis.
16. Unicellular algae that can be both phytoplankton and sometimes bioluminescent.
17. Microscopic organisms that drift or float in aquatic environments.
18. A close and long-term interaction between different biological species.
20. Planktonic organisms that spend only a part of their life cycle as plankton.

1. Zooplankton that remain in the planktonic phase throughout their entire life cycle.
3. Small crustaceans that are a common type of zooplankton.
6. Microscopic, photosynthetic organisms that form the base of the aquatic food chain.
7. The depth in the water column where the rate of photosynthesis equals the rate of respiration.
9. Small animals that feed on phytoplankton or other zooplankton.
11. A bloom of harmful, often toxic, phytoplankton that can lead to the discoloration of water.
12. A type of phytoplankton with a silica-based cell wall, often shaped like a glass shell.
13. Planktonic organisms that spend their entire life cycle in the planktonic phase.
14. Free-swimming aquatic organisms, such as fish and squid, capable of active movement.
19. Pertaining to the bottom of a body of water; organisms living on or in the substrate.