Plankton

ocean life · super tiny · invisible kingdoms · water

Drifters, not swimmers. Plankton can't swim or fight against water currents, so they just drift along wherever the water pushes them. Some plankton are so small you'd need a microscope to see them.

Lives in salt and fresh water. You can find plankton in oceans and salty estuaries, but also in lakes and rivers. Different types of plankton live in different types of water.

Part of the food web. Plankton might be tiny, but they're super important because larger ocean animals like fish and whales eat them for food.

The name plankton means. The word plankton comes from Greek and means 'wanderer' or 'drifter,' which perfectly describes how these organisms float around in water.

Called a plankter up close. When scientists talk about just one plankton organism by itself, they call it a plankter instead of a plankton.