Zooplankton

Many microorganisms are found naturally in fresh and saltwater. These include plankton, bacteria, protozoa and zooplankton.

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The word zooplankton is derived from the Greek zoon, meaning “animal,” and planktos, meaning “wanderer” or “drifter.”

Zooplankton include microscopic animals (krill, sea snails, pelagic worms, etc.), the young of larger invertebrates and fish, and weak swimmers like jellyfish that just drift along with the tides and currents. Most zooplankton eat phytoplankton, and most are, in turn, eaten by larger animals (or by each other). So you could say they one step above phytoplankton in the food chain. The diverse collection of organisms can be important in the food chain that forms the basis of life in the water.

To learn more about the world of zooplankton visit www.underthescope.udel.edu