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Marine Species Introduction |  |
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1. Plankton - drifting organisms
Size classification
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| Travel, Science, Mountains and Oceans | ||||||||||||||||
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Marine Species Introduction | |
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1. Plankton - drifting organisms
Size classification
ultraplankton - bacteria and other very small plankton, <5 µm (0.005 mm)
nannoplankton - mostly phytoplankton, 5 - 70 µm (0.005-0.07 mm)
microplankton - mostly zooplankton, 70 - 100 µm (0.07 - 0.1mm). Also called “net plankton”
macroplankton - not microscopic, for example:
jellyfish
Sargassum (a type of seaweed that floats at the sea surface)
———————>Size——————>
ultra—>nanno—>micro—>macro
Another classification of marine organisms is:
(1) Phytoplankton - plants, primary producers or autotrophs.
The most important primary producers of the sea.
In general, phytoplankton can grow only in the photic zone, but living phytoplankton can be found in deeper water.
Most phytoplankton are microscopic algae, and the vast majority are single-celled (unicellular) or colonial (made up of many, identical cells).
The three most important phytoplankton groups are:
diatoms
dinoflagellates
coccolithophorids
(2) Bacterioplankton - Bacteria
Some are primary producers or autotrophs:
Blue-green “algae” or cyanobacteria may be responsible for most primary production in some areas of the open sea
Some other bacterioplankton, such as sulfur oxidizing bacteria, are important primary producers in specific locations
Some are heterotrophs and decompose the remains of dead organisms, excreta, etc.
(3) Zooplankton - Animals, may be either herbivores (eat plants) or carnivores (eat other animals) or bacteriovores (eat bacteria) or omnivores (eat plants or animals). All are heterotrophs.
Examples: copepods, euphausiids, jellyfish
(4) Nekton - Not plankton. Swimming organisms, mostly high trophic level carnivores, but a few are herbivores (e.g.,anchovy). All are heterotrophs.
Examples: fish, squid, marine mammals
(5) Benthos - Not plankton. Bottom-dwelling plants and animals. These can be any size and have any degree of mobility.
(6) Intertidal and coastal organisms - Not plankton. These plants and animals are often closely related to benthos living in deeper water; some are land organisms adapted to tolerate salt. Primary producers include seaweeds of coastal areas, sea grasses, mangroves, and other coastal plants
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