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

Animals 21-25 in our '50 incredible animals' series

Hi Everyone! Here are the next five animals in our current series! We hope you learn something from this. 21. Stick insect Stick insects are masters of disguise. They look like twigs or leaves. This strange appearance makes them hard to spot when stationary. Stick insects are herbivores, feeding on leaves, and can live for up to three years. Their habitat includes most tropical and subtropical regions, but there are a few species that live in temperate areas as well. There are roughly 3 000 different stick insect species! Not much more is known about them, because they are difficult to find. The two main threats to their populations are the pet trade and people killing them so as to frame their carcasses, like butterflies. Their conservation status ranges from critically endangered to least concern - so basically every category that is on the list! 22. Glass frog The glass frog is, well, see through. You can literally ...

Photo Essay | dolphin spotting boat ride

Hi Everyone! Quite a while ago now, me and my family went on a dolphin spotting boat ride, and I've been meaning to share some photos for ages now! We saw so many dolphins very close up and we managed to get some good shots, although it can never be as magical as in person! All photos in this post were taken by me or my family. They were so close to the boat! This photo is stunning! It's under the water! Again - under the water! It was so hard to capture them jumping! This was the boat.... ...

Ecotourism: what it is, the advantages and the disadvantages

Hi Everyone! Today we wanted to talk about the idea of ecotourism, including the advantages and disadvantages of this concept. If you are looking to reduce your environmental and social impact when travelling, then this is the post for you! Ecotourism is a form of tourism which limits the damage to the environment and local community. It can involve helping in community projects such as planting trees, as well as taking part in local customs and festivals. It helps to keep the local culture alive, while preserving the natural environment. The advantages are abundant. By helping in a project conserving the environment, tourists gain a new understanding and appreciation for the natural world and may be inspired to make changes in their "real" life to live more sustainably. It provides a valuable insight to a country and community, perhaps also inspiring more respect for different people and the lives they lead. The projects also provide sustainable income sources for locals, h...

29.11.2020 Animal Of The Week: Jaguar

Hello, Today (29th November) is world Jaguar day so this week our animal is the Jaguar. The Jaguar is an animal I know pretty much nothing about so I am going to learn a lot too! Jaguars (panthera onca) live for 12 - 15 years. Their heads and bodies are 150-180cm long and their tails are 70-90cm long! They weigh 45 - 110 kg. Habitat Jaguars live primarily in the Amazon Basin, though they can be found in smaller numbers in Central America. They once lived everywhere from central Argentina up to the southwestern United States but since the 1880s they have lost over half of their territory. They are mainly found in tropical rainforests but can live in savannas and grasslands. Diet They eat fish and turtles as they are actually quite competent swimmers as well as deer, iguanas, birds and monkeys; they will eat almost anything! Are they endangered? Jaguars are classed as near endangered and face several threats. South and Central Americ...

06.09.2020 Animal Of the Week: Seven-spotted Ladybird

Hello Everyone, Welcome to this week's animal of the week post. This time about the ladybird, and personally I can't wait to find out more about these creatures. Enjoy! Which ladybird we are investigating today? Today, I am telling you about the seven-spotted ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata), which is the most common ladybird in Europe. Other species include the Two Spot Ladybird and other uncommon ladybirds such as the 16 Spot and other peculiar types. Habitat The seven-spotted ladybird lives in a variety of habitats such as meadows, gardens and hedgerows. They can also be found on farmland, especially with crops such as alfalfa, clover and wheat and corn before it grows too tall. Diet The seven-spotted ladybird feeds on a range of aphid species. This is why they are often referred to as a gardener's best friend as they eat these creatures who can damage plants. They can also eat white flies and anything else that is soft-bo...

Palm Oil

Hi everyone, Today we would like to share with you some information about palm oil. With all the focus on climate change and plastic pollution, not many people are acting against the use of palm oil. Workers First of all, the managers promise that the workers will have good money, but when they arrive, their passports are taken from them, therefore, meaning they are trapped. Soon they find out that they aren't paid as well as promised. They have to work long hours with no breaks, maternity leave or sick days. Some people have to spray pesticides with leaking cans and no safety gear, meaning they become ill but are still forced to work. Deforestation Many animals are losing their home because the trees are chopped down to make room for the palm trees. they are now facing extinction. Also, trees helped to slow down climate change, but without them, climate change speeds up. So this is a big problem. Help your planet! Image:...

Deforestation and why it’s a problem

Hi everyone, Welcome back to another post. Today we’ll be talking about deforestation and its impacts on our earth. Deforestation, the widespread clearance of natural forests, has been happening for thousands of years. One example is Western Europe, where, two millennia ago, 80% of the land was cloaked in dense forest cover. However, over time, a significant portion of this green expanse was sacrificed to create room for crops, livestock grazing, and as a source of fuel and building materials. Presently, a mere 34% of Western Europe retains its woodland. Today, the tropics deal with the brunt of deforestation. Activities such as mining, agriculture, road construction, and the establishment of vast cattle ranches drive the mass clearance of tropical rainforests. This results in the release of huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, exacerbating the global climate crisis. The consequences come in two waves: first, the reduced number of...

The life of ... a koala

Hello everyone, Today we're talking about koalas. Also known as koala bears, koalas are marsupials. So they're actually not bears. Koalas, phascolarctos cinereus , are tree dwelling and probably best known for spending most of the day sleeping. They live for up to 15 years in the wild although captive koalas generally live for longer. Koalas have a stout, gray body and a cream-coloured chest. They have a broad face, small yellow eyes and big fluffy ears. In adaptation to climbing, their feet are strong and clawed. Adult individuals in South Australia weigh 14kg and are 60-84cm big. Their Eastern cousins are considerably smaller. Koalas are found in Eastern and Southern Australia, where they live in eucalyptus trees. They feed on the leaves of these eucalyptus trees, eating up to 1.3kg a day. With a body weight of up to 14kg, this means they eat just under 10% of their body weight every single day. However, the le...

How much do you know about climate change? - Quiz

Hi Everyone and welcome back to Green World! For this week's quiz, we thought we would do one on climate change. By this point, climate change is a well known issue, however, we wanted to share some of the specific statistics, some of which are still really surprising. We hope that this is an informative post for you, and it inspires you to take a small action to reducing your own carbon footprint. Questions Roughly how much CO2 is in the atmosphere? (May 2023) a) 380 parts per million b) 400 parts per million c) 420 parts per million True or False? The last time CO2 levels were as high as they are today was 4.5 million years ago. Which summer month in 2021 had the highest temperature since records started almost 150 years ago? a) June b) July c) August True or False? Antarctica loses the same weight as Mount Everest in ice each year. How many p...

Our 50th post! - and animals 1-5 in the '50 incredible animals' series

Hello Everyone, Today is a special post - to celebrate our 50th post we are starting a new series. This series is about 50 incredible animals. We can't promise that you haven't heard of any of them, but we have tried our best to find some of the most rare and in some cases bizarre animals possible. We can't fit 50 animals into one post so we have split them out over 10 posts. We'll try and publish at least one post every one or two weeks, but you know that we're not very good at keeping to the schedule! So the first five animals that you will (hopefully) find incredible: 1. Dumbo octopus They are the deepest living of all octopus species and are able to pounce on their prey and eat it whole. Their diet includes snails and other creatures they 'hoover up from the ocean floor'. They are called Dumbo elephants as a nod to Disney's elephant because they have fins that resemble the elephants infamous big ears! The...

Green World

Search This Blog