Importance of Phytoplankton

Marine phytoplankton

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Phytoplankton are free-floating organisms that play an important role in the marine ecosystem. They are too small to see with the naked eyes. The name is derived from two Greek words phyto, meaning plants and planktos, meaning made to wander. The three types of phytoplankton are diatoms, dinoflagellates and coccolithophores. Like plants, they have chlorophyll pigments to capture sunlight and carry out photosynthesis. As you recall, photosynthesis is the process of converting sunlight to chemical energy (in the form of sugar). Beside sunlight, phytoplankton also require carbon dioxide and nutrients, such as iron and phosphorus, to grow.

These tiny microscopic organisms are crucial because they take up most of the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In turn, they release oxygen back into the atmosphere for us to breathe. Moreover, they are the primary producers of marine's food chain. Primary producers make their own food and form the bottom of food chain. The next link in a food chain are consumers. The three levels of consumers are primary, secondary and tertiary consumers. Primary consumers, such as zooplankton, are organisms that eat primary producers. The secondary consumers, such as small fishes, will eat the primary consumers. The tertiary consumers, big fishes, will eat the secondary consumers. With the slightest change in phytoplankton numbers, everything in the food chain will get disturbed. 

Read on to see how the global warming is affecting the phytoplankton.

Simplified Food Chain
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