Definition

1. Noun:
   • The aggregate of small plant and animal organisms that float or drift in great numbers in fresh or salt water: Plankton refers to the collective mass of tiny, often microscopic, organisms that live suspended in bodies of water and are carried by currents. They are a fundamental part of aquatic ecosystems.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • Whale sharks feed on plankton. (Whale sharks consume these drifting organisms.)
  • The health of the ocean depends on plankton. (The well-being of the marine environment relies on these floating organisms.)
  • Scientists study plankton to understand climate change. (Researchers examine these drifting life forms to gain insights into climate change.)

Advanced Usage

• "Plankton bloom": A rapid increase in the population of plankton in an aquatic system.

  • The satellite image showed a massive plankton bloom in the bay. (The image revealed a huge, rapid proliferation of these organisms in the bay.)

• "Plankton net": A fine-meshed net used by scientists to collect plankton from water.

  • The marine biologist lowered the plankton net into the sea. (The scientist deployed the specialized net to gather these drifting organisms.)

Variants and Related Words

• Phytoplankton (n): The plant component of plankton, which performs photosynthesis.

  • Phytoplankton produces a significant amount of the Earth's oxygen. (These plant-like plankton are responsible for much of the planet's oxygen.)

• Zooplankton (n): The animal component of plankton.

  • Small fish often feed on zooplankton. (Tiny fish commonly eat these animal-like plankton.)

• Planktonic (adj): Of or relating to plankton.

  • The planktonic community is incredibly diverse. (The community of drifting organisms is very varied.)

Synonyms

• Microorganisms (in an aquatic context): Very small life forms.
• Drifters: Organisms carried by water currents.

Related Phrases

• Base of the food web: A phrase describing plankton's ecological role.
  • Plankton forms the base of the marine food web. (These organisms are the foundational level of the ocean's food chain.)

Noun

1. the aggregate of small plant and animal organisms that float or drift in great numbers in fresh or salt water