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Over the of years our planet’s health has increasingly deteriorated due to global warming, build up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and the release of other toxic emissions that has led to the drastic shift in earth’s climate. This effect has pushed environmentalists to step-up their efforts in informing the public of how to prevent the escalation of this unfortunate event.
For the most part, the air that we breathe today is partly produced by terrestrial organisms such as plants and trees. Trees and other plant life contribute greatly to the contribution of oxygen in our atmosphere.
And without which, almost all living organisms would not survive. But did you know that aside from trees and other botanical organisms, there are other sources of oxygen as well? And these organisms are called Phytoplankton.
Every living organism that derives their food from the sea, such as fish, large whales, shrimp, birds and even humans have a lot to thank plankton for. Planktons are single celled organisms that live at all different levels of the ocean’s surface. This is because planktons are divided up into different categories, and each group has its own need for sunlight and nutrients. Every level in the ocean has specific nutrients that planktons feed on.
There are mainly two types of plankton in the world; the small plants that are called phytoplankton, and the other one are tiny animals called zooplankton. These organisms cannot be seen by the naked eye, but if they are grouped under the water, they appear to be green colored substances moving around with the current. In fact, if you research satellite images of plankton, you can see whole oceans with spots of green plankton all over.
And what makes this organism so fascinating is its ability to convert carbon dioxide into life giving materials that spawn new life under the sea. This process is called photosynthesis, and all living organisms above and under the sea are benefiting from plankton’s productivity because of its release of oxygen. It has been confirmed by scientists and researcher that plankton contributes to up to 90% of the world’s oxygen supply.
Another factor that makes this organism a key player in our survival is its place in the food chain. Planktons are categorized as a basal organism, which makes it the first prey in the food web. Larger organisms such as fish and invertebrates such as crabs and lobsters depend on plankton for food. And as the food chain continues, larger fish and humans who consume fish and crabs as well.
Of course, if you take out plankton in that equation, it greatly affects the survival rate of the next organism and it continues up to the last part of the food chain, which is man.
So you see, plankton is not only a basic food source for small fish in the sea, but also plays a larger role in all of Earth’s organisms. Its oxygen contribution is also on top of the chart. Plankton may be miniscule in size, in fact you can hardly see one at all, but its effect greatly influences our everyday living.
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