Sea Biome

9

Save the Plankton to Save Ourselves

Sea Biome

Gisselle Martinez

Biology; Vargo; 8th period

Abstract

The name Plankton comes from the Greek meaning "drifter" or "wanderer." There are two types of plankton: tiny plants (phytoplankton), and weak-swimming animals (zooplankton). All jellyfish and the Ocean sunfish are such incompetent, feeble swimmers that they too are categorized as plankton! Most of the plankton in the ocean are plants. Plankton accounts for 20% photosynthesis on Earth.

An interesting kind of plankton is Dinoflagellates. They are like both, plants and animals. They move through the water using two “flagella in grooves along their body”. They also produce their own food like plants. Two species of dinoflagellates are the cause of the dangerous red tide. When their populations get large, the reddish-colored dinoflagellates not only make the surrounding water appear to be tinted red, they can produce a variety of toxic effects, including fish mortality and paralytic shellfish poisoning. (The Intertidal Zone.)

Sea Biome

Ocean. What comes to mind with that word? Perhaps a relaxing day by the beach, going for a swim, or surfing. We don’t realize what’s there though. Did you know the ocean is home to millions of lives? Lives different than ours of course, but what we have in similarity is the importance. All lives matter. Did you know that 94 percent of life on Earth is aquatic? We share Earth’s surface with 70% water and 30% land. Crazy to think about, right? There are five ocean biomes in the world, the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and the Arctic Ocean. Some interesting facts about the ocean are: We have explored less than 5% of the Earth’s oceans. As a matter of fact, we have better maps of Mars than we do of the ocean floor! Something else that’s interesting is that in terms of our complete legal jurisdiction, 50% of the United states lies below the ocean! According to Mother Earth News, “The deep sea is the largest museum on Earth. There are more artifacts and remnants of history in the ocean than in all of the world’s museums, combined.” Cool, right? Now, what’s so important about the ocean? Why is there so much of it? Well, the truth is, oceans give us the one thing we need to live/survive; Clean air. They produce over half of the oxygen in our atmosphere and osmose most of the carbon from it. Our whole lives we’ve been told that we’re breathing because of trees, while that’s partly true, trees are not our only source for oxygen; And unknowingly, we’ve been careless. Littering has become a huge concern for the safety of ocean life. The ocean is slowly dying, and we’re the cause. But if we educate ourselves, we can prevent further damage to our ecosystem.

Plankton

First of all, what are Plankton? According to an article titled Save the Plankton, “Plankton are any organisms living in the oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water that are incapable of swimming against the current.” They are a “source of food for many sea creatures from fish to whales.” Most importantly, “It turns out that plankton, through photosynthesis, generate oxygen.” They are what play such a huge role in providing us oxygen! Plankton is important. Did you know plankton make up 98% of the biomass of ocean life! This is extremely significant due to that there are different types of plankton.

Types of Plankton

Plankton can be divided into two different categories; Phytoplankton and Zooplankton. Phytoplankton is made up of tiny one-celled plants, and they produce their own food the same way plants do. Phytoplankton is the foundation of the aquatic food web. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution claims that “It is estimated that 80% of the oxygen on earth is produced by phytoplankton.” This is critical because these organisms devour carbon dioxide to produce that oxygen for our planet. In other words, phytoplankton is inhaling what we're exhaling. As you should know, we, humans, breath in oxygen, and breathe out carbon dioxide. Phytoplankton breathe in our co2, and breath out fresh oxygen. The next type is Zooplankton, also known as animal plankton. They can spend their entire existence as plankton or just for a brief time, during their development. An article on ScienceRecorder.com states that since zooplankton gives “sustenance to larger organisms, which are then consumed by larger animals, and so on,” without them, “marine life could not sustain itself.” This is requisite because Phytoplankton is consumed by Zooplankton, which is then consumed by larger sea life. The demand for plankton is integral. Our ecosystem depends on these microscopic organisms! Can you see the cycle now? We need plankton to survive.

Why we should care

"Plankton is much more than just food for the whales," says Chris Bowler, a research director at France's National Center for Scientific Research. "Although tiny, these organisms are a vital part of the Earth's life support system, providing half of the oxygen generated each year on Earth by photosynthesis and lying at the base of marine food chains on which all other ocean life depends." Plankton is not just important to sea life. Around 70% of the human population lives along the coastlines of oceans. People there catch and depend on around 18 million tons of fish per year! BBC EARTH claims that plankton is the most vital organisms on earth! They say that without them, not only would marine life suffer, it would cause a chain effect and even humans would suffer. “No Plankton means no fish, no local trade, and economic collapse." That's just one example. Did you know that plankton is also the source of fuel from the ocean? Well, dead and deteriorating plankton sink to the bottom of the ocean and take the carbon they contain with them. "Over millions of years, this matter creates the world's oil and gas reserves." So, essentially, no plankton means no fuel. (BBC Earth)

By now, you know plankton are crucial to all lives on earth, but you’re probably thinking, what’s the deal? Researchers at Canada's Dalhousie University say the global population of phytoplankton has fallen about 40 percent since 1950. That is an average of 1% a year! The reason to care? We are the cause.

The solution

The first step to solving a problem is to know what’s causing it. In this case, Plankton is decreasing because of sea surface temperatures increasing. While phytoplankton does need light and heat to photosynthesize, too much of it changes their chemical composition. That results in a slow rate of photosynthesis. Now, we know that photosynthesis is energy. Without energy, plankton cannot reproduce and radically die off. So, why are the oceans warming? The answer is, there are very high levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Now let me remind you, co2 is released from transportation, electricity and things man-made. Not to include ourselves, and other animals breathing as well! What we can do to help is not use our cars so much, instead, maybe ride a bicycle or walk to our destinations. We can also help by recycling, reusing certain things, and not littering. Whenever you see trash on the floor, pick it up! Try not to use as much energy. Do what you personally can to live a cleaner, more simple life and reduce your carbon footprint. Without plankton, our oxygen levels would basically be cut in half, we would have filthier air, and we too would die off. It’s the little things that matter in this world. Yes, even those as microscopic as plankton!

ReferencesB. (2015, June 08). Plankton. The Most Vital Organisms On Earth - World Oceans Day - BBC Earth. Retrieved April 7, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjnYJVKysfoSchool of Life Sciences | Ask A Biologist. (2013, May 27). Retrieved April 7, 2017, from https://askabiologist.asu.edu/experiments/planktonMorello, L., & C. (2010, July 29). Phytoplankton Population Drops 40 Percent Since 1950. Retrieved April 7, 2017, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/phytoplankton-population/Publications, I. O. (2009, August 03). 15 Fun and Surprising Facts about the Earth's Oceans. Retrieved April 7, 2017, from http://www.motherearthnews.com/nature-and-environment/nature/fun-surprising-facts-about-the-oceansMain sources of carbon dioxide emissions. (2016, June 01). Retrieved April 7, 2017, from http://whatsyourimpact.org/greenhouse-gases/carbon-dioxide-emissionsAlgae, Phytoplankton, and Chlorophyll. (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2017, from http://www.fondriest.com/environmental-measurements/parameters/water-quality/algae-phytoplankton-chlorophyll/#algae8(n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2017, from https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Phytoplankton/page2.php

Plankton. (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2017, from https://www.whoi.edu/science/B/people/kamaral/plankton.html

Chart & Map

Figure 1:

Figure 1 demonstrates how Phytoplankton is responsible for most of the transfer of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to the ocean. (Chart from A New Wave of Ocean Science, U.S. JGOFS.)

Figure 2:

Figure 2 is a map that demonstrates chlorophyll concentrations. That indicates plankton levels and photosynthesis. As you can see, plankton is found all over the ocean! (This image is from NASA)