Plankton by Avery August

abundant in nutrient rich regions such as shallow seas, on continental shelves and in upwelling regions, where deep ocean water rises to the surface, such as the Antarctic polar fronts, the west of South Africa, the coasts of Peru and Chile and eastern New Zealand. All plankton ecosystems are driven by sunlights. Although plankton tend to be near the surface they are sometimes down below in deeper parts of the ocean. In the depths where no primary production occurs, zooplankton and things called bacterio plankton consume organic material that has sunken down from surface waters above. Some jellyfish are considered a zooplankton because plankton are not a specific species making it so some plankton known as mega plankton can grow upwards of 20 centimeters. Even though there are giant plankton, most are Microscopic. Bacteria and fungi found in water are technically plankton, but, because special ways to get them are different than for usual plankton, they are still usually aren’t considered plankton . Why are plankton important? The truth is without these tiny living organisms the Earth would be a very different place. Since plankton are incredibly small, there are a lot of plankton on Earth. In fact, you can tons and tons of plankton in a single drop of water. Plankton feed bigger marine animals. Plankton produce a lot of oxygen from photosynthesis. During photosynthesis they use the sun's energy to combine carbon dioxide and water into food. This process removes carbon dioxide from seawater and allows the water to absorb a lot of carbon dioxide produced in the atmosphere. This global carbon cycle helps regulate the temperature of Earth. Phytoplankton are the first link in the food chain. They are known as primary producers because they produce the first forms of food. Zooplankton and other small animals that graze on the phytoplankton are known as primary consumers. Photosynthesis by the phytoplankton accounts for up to half of global primary production. The sea world of fish, the floor of corrals, the mollusks, eels, water snakes and millions of marine animals from worms and crabs to giant sea creatures depend on plankton. The future of plankton. In the future, warmer waters could significantly change ocean distribution of populations of phytoplankton, tiny organisms that could have a major effect on climate change. In a study, researchers found out that by the end of the 21st century, warmer oceans will cause populations of these marine microorganisms to thrive near the poles and shrink in equatorial waters.’’ If the oceans continue to warm as predicted, "there will be a sharp decline in the diversity of phytoplankton in tropical waters and a poleward shift in species”-Science Daily.