Phytoplankton

ocean · microscopic · food chain · photosynthesis

Drifting plant plankton. Phytoplankton are so small you can't see them without a microscope, yet they float in oceans and freshwater all over the world. The name means 'plant drifter' because they're like little plants that wander wherever currents take them.

Feed themselves with sunlight. Unlike regular animals that eat other creatures, phytoplankton are autotrophic, which means they make their own food using sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide. This makes them similar to plants on land that photosynthesize.

Fuel the whole ocean. Phytoplankton are at the bottom of ocean food chains, feeding tiny zooplankton which feed fish which feed whales and bigger animals. Without phytoplankton, almost all ocean life would have nothing to eat.

Live in water everywhere. You'll find phytoplankton in oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers wherever there's enough sunlight and nutrients. They're so common that they're in nearly every drop of water you might sample from nature.

Produce oxygen we breathe. As phytoplankton photosynthesize, they release oxygen into the water and air, making them crucial helpers for all life on Earth. In fact, a huge amount of the oxygen you breathe comes from ocean phytoplankton.