Exploring New Technologies for Plankton Observations and Monitoring of Ocean Health

• Published in: Oceanography (Washington, D.C.) Vol. 34; no. 4; p. 20
• Main Authors: Hablützel, Pascal I, Rombouts, Isabelle, Dillen, Nick, Lagaisse, Rune, Mortelmans, Jonas, Ollevier, Anouk, Perneel, Michiel, Deneudt, Klaas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Rockville Oceanography Society 01-12-2021
• Subjects: Algae; Biomass; Carbon dioxide; Cells; Drifters; Fish; Food webs; Larvae; Marine ecosystems; Marine mammals; Ocean floor; Oceans; Parasites; Photosynthesis; Phytoplankton; Plankton; Predators; Primary production; Protists; Viruses; Zooplankton
• ISSN: 1042-8275; 2377-617X
• DOI: 10.5670/oceanog.2021.supplement.02-0

Planktonic organisms are ubiquitous drifters in seas and oceans where they dominate life in terms of abundance and biomass (Bar-On and Milo, 2019). They are essential players in the functioning of marine ecosystems. Among them, microscopic algae called phytoplankton use sunlight to generate biomass from carbon dioxide and water, forming the basis of planktonic food webs, contributing about half of global primary productivity through photosynthesis, and producing about half of the world's oxygen (Field etal., 1998). Phytoplankton are grazed by slightly larger, yet often still minuscule, animals called zooplankton that in turn are eaten by large predators such as fish or whales. Fish and many seabed-dwelling organisms such as corals or starfish commonly start their lives as zooplankton larvae. But plankton also include protists (flagellates, broadly defined), bacteria, and viruses, far tinier organisms that may feast on zooplankton leftovers or dead cells, or may live as parasites within the bodies of larger plankton cells.