Phytoplankton

Hi everyone,
Today we're learning about phytoplankton. Phytoplankton are microscopic organisms that live in both salt and fresh water, and are mostly single-celled plants. The name phytoplankton comes from Greek and means 'drifting/wandering plants'. One of the most well-known phytoplankton species is green algae.

Photosynthesis and carbon transport

Phytoplankton contains chlorophyll and photosynthesises. This process absorbs carbon dioxide and creates oxygen, which is released into the surroundings. This is so effective that according to a NASA page: "Through photosynthesis, phytoplankton consume carbon dioxide on a scale equivalent to forests and other land plants." Phytoplankton is accountable for the majority of the carbon dioxide that is transferred from the atmosphere to the ocean. This carbon is carried to other ocean layers when the phytoplankton dies and sinks to the ocean floor or is eaten by animals, that then generate waste and also die. In fact, globally, 10 gigatons of carbon are transported from the atmosphere to the ocean floor in this way every year.

Conditions and habitat

Phytoplankton can be found worldwide but are especially abundant along coastlines. Multiple conditions make an area perfect for phytoplankton to thrive. One of the most important is the availability of nutrients, for example, calcium, iron, nitrate, phosphate, silicate and many others in varying amounts depending on the species. Other conditions include depth, predators, water temperature, wind and currents (which drive nutrients up from the ocean depths).

Blooms

If the conditions are just right, they can lead to explosive growth in the phytoplankton population, known as a bloom. These blooms can cover hundreds of square kilometres and are visible in satellite photos from space! A bloom will typically last for several weeks, however individual phytoplankton have a lifespan of only a couple of days. During these blooms, more oxygen is created and more carbon is absorbed due to increased population size.

They may look pretty, but the impacts of these blooms aren't always good. The dead phytoplankton sink down to the ocean floor and bacteria begin to decompose them. The problem is, that these bacteria use up a lot of oxygen. So much so, that when a lot of plankton die (after a bloom), the bacteria use up all the oxygen in the surrounding water causing marine animals to suffocate and die. Another problem is that some species of phytoplankton produce biotoxins. The blooms cause strong toxins to contaminate the surrounding water, poisoning the animals and the people that eat those animals. This is known as a red tide (harmful algae bloom).

Importance for marine life

Phytoplankton is very important for the aquatic food web and is eaten by a wide range of species, from zooplankton to whales. They produce and release oxygen (through photosynthesis) when they are alive, and dead phytoplankton provide waters with nutrients as well as being good for sand quality. Phytoplankton also plays a vital role in keeping the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and oceans as low as possible.

We hope you enjoyed this post. See you next week!

Your Green World Blog Team💚

Sources:
http://bioresearch.wdka.nl/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/What-are-Phytoplankton_nasa.pdf
https://deepoceanfacts.com/importance-of-marine-phytoplankton

Images:
Microscopic image of a phytoplankton: This image, owned by NOAA Photo Library (on flickr.com) is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Phytoplankton bloom from space: This image, owned by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (on flickr.com) is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Comments

Discussion || Should Everyone Switch To Electric Cars?

Hi Everyone! Thank you so much for joining me today, as I hop on the blog to discuss whether everyone switching to electric cars would really help the environment. In other words, should everyone switch to electric cars? This is the first part of a two-part series, discussing electric cars, so stay tuned for part two!! I would like to start this post by stating that I am by no means an expert. This is knowledge I have from my own experience, and from research I have done. If anything is incorrect please take it as it is and accept that this is a discussion and I am taking on board all opinions from reliable sources on this complex topic. Electric cars are a huge topic when it comes to sustainability and "saving our planet". There is no debating the fact that electric cars are better for the environment than diesel or petrol once they are on the road. But the production of them is often very polluting, with one study show...

Greta Thunberg's Speech at the UN Climate Action Summit 2019

Hi Everyone! I thought I would share the transcript of Greta Thunberg's inspiring speech from the UN Climate Action Summit. The phrase we remember is 'How dare you!'. But what did she really want us to take away from it? She wanted us to act, so watch the video using the link below and take action because the world isn't just going to heal itself. Greta Thunberg's speech at the UN Climate Action Summit video "My message is that we'll be watching you. This is all wrong. I shouldn't be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us young people for hope. How dare you! You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. And yet I'm one of the lucky ones. People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic g...

10 animals on the edge of extinction you didn't know about no.4 - Sumatran elephant

Hello everyone, This is the 4th post in our '10 animals on the edge of extinction you didn't know about'. Today we are going to be talking about Sumatran elephants. You've probably all heard about Sumatran tigers, which are also on the edge of extinction, but Sumatran elephants are much less well-known. Characteristics Sumatran elephants live for around 70 years and grow 2 - 3.2m tall. They weigh 2 000 to 4 000 kg and are the smallest subspecies of Asian Elephant. The males have tusks, however, these don't grow as long as their African counterparts. The females also have tusks but these are normally so small, that they are hidden under the upper lip. Sumatran elephants are herbivores, eating bark, bananas, young fresh leaves and occasionally various wild herbs. Social lives Elephants are very social and live in herds of 20 - 35 individuals. These herds are led by a dominant female. Males leave when reach adolescence, either willi...

Why Didn't People Act Sooner On The Climate Crisis?

Hi Everyone! Welcome back to Green World, where today I wanted to talk about why people didn't act sooner about the climate crisis , when we have known about this issue for decades. I asked myself this too, and it wasn't until I read the chapter about it in Greta Thunberg's book that I started to understand the reasons behind why action was not taken sooner, and why this crisis has been allowed to escalate as far as it has. As someone who has only been on the planet for 14 years, a part of me does resent people around long before I was for not having acted on an issue that they knew would continue to affect people around the world. They knew it was not an issue that would go away, so why didn't they act, when it was easier to do so? Changing our now very ingrained habits is so difficult, whereas fifty years ago, ways of life could have been more easily influenced. Well, there are a few reasons why action was not taken to combat cl...

Maldives - the direct impacts of climate change

Welcome back, Today we’re looking at the direct impacts of the climate crisis . The main reason why people don’t believe in climate change is that they can’t see it with their own eyes. So, we’re going to have a look at the Maldives where the effects of climate change become more obvious with every passing year. Maldives The full name of the Maldives is The Republic of the Maldives. It is an independent country made up of about 1 200 islands in the North Indian Ocean. The northernmost island is situated 370 miles away from the mainland (India). The islands are actually the tips of an ancient volcanic mountain range that is now almost completely submerged. In fact, the highest point is 1.8m-2.4m above sea level with the average elevation being 1m above sea level. The islands have a large tourism industry, due to the stunning nature found on and around the islands. 500 000 - 1 500 000 tourists visit the islands each year. This is mainly 'nature to...

16.08.2020 Animal of the week: Elephant

Hello. On the 12th of August it was International Elephant Day, so we decided that this week's post should be about elephants. Elephants are the largest living land mammals. There are three types of elephant; the African bush elephant; the African forest elephant and the Asian elephant. African elephants have larger ears, whereas Asian elephants have smaller ears. Elephants use their trunks to breath, bring food and drink to their mouths and to grasp objects. Elephants' legs are like pillars. They carry the Elephant's massive weight. African bush elephants weigh 6000kg, Asian elephants weigh 4000kg and African forest elephants weigh 2700kg. Basically, they are very heavy.Elephants eat grasses, small plants, bushes, fruit, twigs, tree bark, and roots. Elephants can live up to 70 years old in the wild. They communicate by sight, touch and smell. Sadly, these wonderful mammals are in danger. African elephants are listed as vulne...

Autumn Leaves: The science behind one of the most beautiful seasons

Hi everyone! We know that at the time this post is being published it will still be August, and the height of summer here in the Northern Hemisphere, but within the next two months or so, autumn will well and truly be upon us. So, today, we thought we could talk a bit about the science behind this beautiful season. Thinking of autumn automatically brings to mind images of crisp mornings, cosy evenings, and of the picturesque falling leaves with their hues of red, orange, yellow and gold. The change of colour of these leaves marks a change of seasons, and the decreasing temperature and light levels that goes along with that. But why do these leaves lose their greenness and fall from the trees? Trees' leaves contain a chemical called chlorophyll which allows them to convert water and carbon dioxide into glucose, or sugars, through a process called photosynthesis . This is how they gain energy from sunlight. Chlorophyll is green in colour, ...

July 2021 Factfile - some news from the past month, animals and plants!

Hi Everyone, July is over and August is here. This month we've divided the 'News' section into 'Good news' and 'Bad news'. This will hopefully make the post more structured and easier to navigate. News Good news: Pandas classified as vulnerable Giants pandas are now classified as vulnerable according to Chinese officials. They were originally classed as endangered , but now that numbers in the wild have gone over 1 800 they have been reclassified. This is due to hard conservation work in China and funds from volunteers all over the globe. However, they are still vulnerable so it is important that the good work continues. For all those who have supported giant pandas through websites or those who work actively with them: keep up the good work! First baby beaver born on Exmoor in 400 years A baby beaver has been born on Exmoor, England, for the first time in 400 years! This is due to ...

Top tips for Christmas

Hello everyone, This post is all about how to help the environment over Christmas. 1. Try not to travel massive distances by plane Christmas is the time of the year to get the whole family together, not go on holiday. Enjoy the environment around you, talk to the friends and neighbours that you normally talk to, you don't need to fly half way aroudn the globe for just one week. Of course, if you are travelling to visit family this doesn't really count. 2. Christmas trees; Most people buy a new Christmas tree every year and then throw it away in January. The more environmentally friendly option is to buy a small Christmas tree in a pot and put it out in the garden and let it grow for the rest of the year and then bring it in again next Christmas. There are quite a few advantages when doing this. 1. Planted trees don't drop loads of needles. 2. It saves money because you don't have to pay for a new tree every year. 3. It saves t...

Green Pets || easy house plants to get you started // best house plants for beginners

Hi Everyone! Today I wanted to talk to you about some easy house plants you could look after to get you started on your green pets journey. These are plants that are easy to look after and that I recommend for an introduction into caring for house plants. If you are a beginner or want to look after some plants, then this is the post for you! 1. Cacti - moon cactus I don't actually have a cactus, but they are the obvious place to start. They need little water and thrive in warm conditions; they are described as "low maintenance". I have done some research and it looks like the moon cactus (Gymnocalycium mihanovichii) is the best one in terms of not being too fussy with needing minimal water and tolerates lower light levels. I would like a cactus at some point, but if you are just starting out wanting to care for some house plants, then this is the one to start with! 2. Aloe Vera One of my first house plants, this is one that is rela...

Green World

Search This Blog