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	Vol. 13, No. 3	Provided free of charge to our monitors and affiliates	Winter 2009

Lake Lingo

Plankton

By Scott Williams
VLMP Executive Director

Plankton are the small or microscopic plants and animals that float or drift in the open water. Plankton communities are adapted to suspension, and some are capable of independent movement, but wind and water currents play a strong role in the location of plankton communities in lakes. Although individual organisms are very small, the plankton constitute a significant percentage of the total biomass in most lakes and ponds.

Phytoplankton (phyton is Greek for plant) are the portion of the plankton community comprised of tiny plants, including the algae. Because they are able to use the energy of the sun to metabolize through the process of photosynthesis, phytoplankton are “primary producers” of food and energy in lakes and ponds, upon which all higher life in a body of water is dependent. There are many types of algae in most lakes, and dominant species vary throughout the year, depending on water temperature, circulation, nutrient concentrations and sunlight.

Phytoplankton - Asterionella

Zooplankton are small or microscopic animals that float or drift in the water, but they can also move independently. Unlike phytoplankton, the zooplankton are not able to produce their own food. They are therefore “consumers” in lake ecosystems. Like phytoplankton, there are many types of zooplankton. Among the most significant in lakes and ponds are the cladocerans, or “water fleas” (see photo below). These filter-feeding crustacean zooplankton graze on algae. Their size and abundance can influence the concentration of algae in lake water.

Zooplankton - Daphnia

 

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