zooplankton
Tiny ocean drifters
Zooplankton are tiny animals that drift in bodies of water, unable to swim against currents.
They range from microscopic single-celled organisms to small jellyfish and crustaceans.
Zooplankton feed on phytoplankton (plant plankton) and form a critical link in aquatic food chains, serving as prey for fish and whales.
The lake's zooplankton population explodes each spring.
Minute planktonic crustacean
- rotiferCiliated microscopic aquatic invertebrate
- protistUnicellular eukaryotic organism
- ciliateHair-covered single-celled organism
- flagellateTo whip or scourge
Minute aquatic crustaceans
Freshwater microscopic crustacean
- water fleasTiny freshwater zooplankton
- cyclopsSingle-eyed mythical titan
- limnologyStudy of inland waters
- lakesLarge inland water bodies
ponds · reservoirs · eutrophication · thermocline · turbidity · watershed
Directional flows of movement
- tidesPeriodic sea-level changes
- passiveNot actively participating
- pelagicOf the open sea
- oceanicOf the sea
floaters · drifting · water column · gyre · upwelling · dispersal · drift
Drifting marine stinger
- luminescenceHeatless light emission
- phosphorescenceHeatless delayed light emission
- glowSteady, soft light
- chemiluminescenceLight from molecular reactions
light-emitting · glowing · radiance · fluorescence · sparkle · shimmer
Interconnected predator-prey relationships
- carbon cycleBiogeochemical element circulation process
- detritusLoose waste from decay
- grazingFeeding on pasture
- biomassLiving material in aggregate
Extracting nutrients from water
- baleen whalesBristle-mouthed marine mammals
- whale sharksBiggest fish species
- manta raysLarge flat cartilaginous fish
- forage fishSmall prey species
anchovies · herring · sardines · predation · food chain · seabirds · basking shark · consumption
copepod
Minute planktonic crustacean
- rotiferCiliated microscopic aquatic invertebrate
- protistUnicellular eukaryotic organism
- ciliateHair-covered single-celled organism
flagellate · unicellular · microscopy · microorganism · microfauna
copepods
Minute aquatic crustaceans
daphnia
Freshwater microscopic crustacean
- water fleasTiny freshwater zooplankton
- cyclopsSingle-eyed mythical titan
- limnologyStudy of inland waters
lakes · ponds · reservoirs · eutrophication · thermocline · turbidity · watershed
currents
Directional flows of movement
oceanic · floaters · drifting · water column · gyre · upwelling · dispersal · drift
jellyfish
Drifting marine stinger
- luminescenceHeatless light emission
- phosphorescenceHeatless delayed light emission
- glowSteady, soft light
chemiluminescence · light-emitting · glowing · radiance · fluorescence · sparkle · shimmer
food web
Interconnected predator-prey relationships
- carbon cycleBiogeochemical element circulation process
- detritusLoose waste from decay
- grazingFeeding on pasture
biomass · biodiversity · pelagic · oceanic
filter feeding
Extracting nutrients from water
- baleen whalesBristle-mouthed marine mammals
- whale sharksBiggest fish species
- manta raysLarge flat cartilaginous fish
forage fish · anchovies · herring · sardines · predation · food chain · seabirds · basking shark · consumption
- life formsorganisms, organism, lifeforms, animal, creatures
- living thingsplants, animals, animal, creature, birds
- ocean lifeocean, sea, sea creatures, shark, sea life
- marine ecosystemsoceans, marine life, krill, kelp, coastlines
- lake wildlifeperch, pike, bream, roach, eel
- pond lifetadpoles, fish, frog, frogs, algae
zooplanktonphytoplankton
Photosynthetic aquatic drifters
algae · diatoms · cyanobacteria · autotrophs
zooplanktonapex predators
Dominant hunters, no natural enemies
orcas · great white sharks · baleen whales · blue whale · whale shark
plankton, phytoplankton, planktons, zoology, metazoa, zoologist, zoological, zoonosis, protozoan