Zooplankton include microscopic animals (krill, sea snails, pelagic worms, etc.), the young of larger invertebrates and fish, and weak swimmers like jellyfish Most zooplankton eat phytoplankton, and most are, in turn, eaten by larger animals (or by each other). Zooplankton, small floating or weakly swimming organisms that drift with water currents and, with phytoplankton, make up the planktonic food supply upon which almost all oceanic organisms are ultimately dependent. Zooplankton are a type of heterotrophic plankton that range from microscopic organisms to large species, such as jellyfish Zooplankton are found within large bodies of water, including oceans and freshwater systems. Zooplankton, a subset of the broader planktonic community, are heterotrophic organisms that inhabit both freshwater and marine environments
The term “plankton” encompasses a diverse array of organisms that float or drift within aquatic realms. Zooplankton are small, often microscopic, heterotrophic organisms that float or drift in freshwater and marine ecosystems Unlike phytoplankton, they do not perform photosynthesis and rely on other organisms for nutrition. Explore zooplankton's role in aquatic ecosystems, behavior, diet, reproduction, and conservation status Learn why they're vital for marine health! The researchers who took part in the census of marine zooplankton, a project of the census of marine life, spent a decade surveying and photographing holozooplankton biodiversity around the world.
