Planktology

Planktology is the study of plankton, various small drifting plants, animals and microorganisms that inhabit bodies of water. The field encompasses a variety of topics, including primary production and energy flow. The carbon cycle is a recent area of interest.

Composed image of phytoplankton and zooplankton

Plankton drive the "biological pump", a process by which the ocean ecosystem transports carbon from the surface euphotic zone to the ocean's depths. Such processes are vital to carbon dioxide sinks, one of several possibilities for countering global warming. Modern planktology includes behavioral aspects of drifting organisms, engaging modern in situ imaging devices.

Some planktology projects allow the public to participate online, such as the Longterm Ecological Observatory.

Notable planktologists

External links

• Victor Hensen biography
• Gotthilf Hempel
• Paul Falkowski homepage

Plankton About plankton Algal bloom CLAW hypothesis High lipid content microalgae Holoplankton Meroplankton Milky seas effect Paradox of the plankton Planktology Red tide Spring bloom Thin layers More... By size Eukaryotic picoplankton Heterotrophic picoplankton Microphyte (microalgae) Nanophytoplankton Photosynthetic picoplankton Picobiliphyte Picoeukaryote Picoplankton Bacterioplankton Bacteriastrum Aeromonas salmonicida Cyanobacteria Cyanobiont Cyanotoxin Enteric redmouth disease Flavobacterium Flavobacterium columnare Pelagibacter ubique Marine bacteriophage SAR11 clade Streptococcus iniae Phytoplankton Auxospore Axodine Chaetoceros Chaetocerotaceae Coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi Eustigmatophyte Frustule Heterokont Nannochloropsis Navicula Prasinophyceae Raphidophyte Thalassiosira pseudonana Diatom orders Centrales Pennales (Classes: Coscinodiscophyceae Fragilariophyceae Bacillariophyceae) Flagellates Brevetoxin Choanoflagellates Dinoflagellates Flagellum Pfiesteria piscicida Saxitoxin Symbiodinium Velvet (fish disease) Zooplankton Chaetognatha Ciguatera Ctenophora Gelatinous zooplankton Hunting copepods Ichthyoplankton Jellyfish Marine larvae Crustacean larvae Salmon louse Sea louse Copepod orders Calanoida Cyclopoida Harpacticoida Monstrilloida Poecilostomatoida Siphonostomatoida More... Related topics Aeroplankton Algaculture Algal mat Algal nutrient solutions Artificial seawater Autotrophs Biological pump Diel vertical migration Dimethylsulfoniopropionate f-ratio Fish diseases and parasites Heterotroph HNLC Macroalgae Manta trawl Marine mucilage Microbial mat Mycoplankton Ocean acidification Primary production Stromatolite Tychoplankton Zoid C-MORE CPR AusCPR MOCNESS SCAR