{"id":3196,"date":"2023-05-03T16:05:11","date_gmt":"2023-05-03T15:05:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/avada.picarussailingclub.com\/uncategorized\/la-importancia-del-plancton-en-el-oceano\/"},"modified":"2023-05-03T16:09:25","modified_gmt":"2023-05-03T15:09:25","slug":"the-importance-of-the-plankton-in-the-ocean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.picarussailingclub.com\/en\/boat-tour\/the-importance-of-the-plankton-in-the-ocean\/","title":{"rendered":"The importance of the plankton in the ocean"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/span>

The importance of the plankton in the ocean<\/h1><\/span>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/span>

Committed to all quality standards.<\/span><\/p><\/h2><\/span>

<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

The word plankton was first used in 1887 by German scientist Victor Hensen. With it, he referred to\u00a0a group of plant and animal organisms<\/strong>, mostly microscopic,\u00a0present in salty or fresh waters<\/strong>\u00a0that move driven by currents.<\/p>\n

These diverse organisms populate the oceans around the world but tend to be more abundant in the colder seas, i.e: distant from the equator.<\/p>\n

Their role\u00a0is essential in the marine food chain<\/strong>\u00a0and they are usually classified into two categories:\u00a0phytoplankton<\/em>\u00a0or plankton from vegetable origin and\u00a0zooplankton<\/em>\u00a0or animal plankton.<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/a><\/span><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/span>

Two tiny but vital biological organisms<\/h2><\/span>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>

In the marine food chain, or trophic pyramid,\u00a0plankton is the base<\/strong>. The energy of the sun is what fosters the organic matter that is derived from phytoplankton as primary production, from which zooplankton feed.<\/p>\n

Large marine cetaceans\u00a0feed on the zooplankton<\/strong>, as can be seen in the Atlantic on sail trips for whale watching in Tenerife, for example. It is also the daily diet of large fish, seals, and birds. And that cycle continues with those large eaters returning it to the sea through their waste.<\/p>\n

Phytoplankton is made up of a\u00a0very high percentage of the so-called cyanobacteria and unicellular algae<\/strong>, which nourish through photosynthesis. And that\u2019s not only the basis for feeding zooplankton,\u00a0it also produces more than 80% of the oxygen<\/strong>\u00a0on the planet. These tiny organisms that form phytoplankton are called autotrophs because of the way they feed, and they are usually found no more than 150 ft below the sea surface, since they need sunlight to survive as well as the presence of some minerals in the water.<\/p>\n

Zooplankton, on the other hand,\u00a0abounds in the upper part of the sea<\/strong>, since that is where the organic substance with which they feed from is found.<\/p>\n

Many life forms compose zooplankton:\u00a0worms, mollusks, fish larvae, tiny crustaceans and different protozoa<\/strong>, and scientists have classified them as\u00a0meroplankton<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0holoplankton<\/em>. The first group encompasses all microorganisms considered plankton only in their larval stage, and the second group refers to those that remains as plankton throughout their entire life.<\/p>\n

Many of these species are transparent and others even shine or radiate\u00a0bioluminescence<\/em>\u00a0in deep waters. This characteristic is vital for reproduction purposes and as a mechanism to scare away their predators.\u00a0They have a somewhat limited mobility<\/strong>\u00a0and their fluctuation is mainly due to ocean currents, although they are able to move vertically for feeding on the surface during night hours.<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div><\/div><\/span>

Why is plankton so vital?<\/h2><\/span>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>

Although\u00a0it cannot be seen with the naked eye<\/strong>, as it can be done with dolphins and whales in Tenerife boat trips while enjoying the immensity of the sea, thanks to scientific investigators\u00a0the vital importance of plankton could have been determined<\/strong>, both for that large marine fauna and for all life on the planet.<\/p>\n

Plankton represents\u00a0the highest available biomass in terms of living matter and energy<\/strong>\u00a0in all aquatic environments. In combination with the so-called\u00a0primary producers<\/em>\u00a0in aquatic systems, it is the first link in the food chain.<\/p>\n

The following are scientific facts about the importance of ocean plankton:<\/p>\n