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Not much attention is paid to plankton because these creatures are usually hidden from sight. They are mostly microscopic in size and live in aquatic environments, but human lives are intricately connected with plankton.

The originates from the ancient Greek word for "drifter." Plankton refers to all organisms suspended in (oceans, lakes, rivers and even groundwaters), including viruses, bacteria, insects, larval fish and jellyfish. Plankton come in many shapes and sizes, but what unites all of them is a tendency to drift with currents.

There are both plant () and animal () types, as well as organisms that blur the line by belonging to both. These include carnivorous plants or photosynthesizing animals ().

Understanding plankton

We are an international group of researchers working on plankton that inhabit aquatic waters from high alpine lakes to the deep oceans. We represent a much larger consortium of researchers (the Plankton Passionates) who have recently considered all the ways in which .

In our work in BioScience, we have identified six broad themes that allow us to classify the value of plankton.

Plankton are integral to the ecological functioning of all aquatic environments. For example, to create biomass that is transferred throughout the ecosystem, much as plants and trees do on land. Phytoplankton are mostly eaten by zooplankton, which are in turn prime food for fish like sardines and herring. These small fish are fed upon by larger fish and birds. That means is critically sustained by plankton.

Plankton play a critical role in other ways that affect the ecological functioning of aquatic environments. Specifically, plankton affect the cycles of matter and the biogeochemistry of their ecosystems. While phytoplankton use sunlight to grow and reproduce, they also move nutrients, oxygen and carbon around.

Phytoplankton are an —studying them provides key indicators for planetary health and climate change—because they capture carbon dioxide (CO₂). When phytoplankton are eaten by zooplankton, and these animals die and sink to the bottom of water bodies, this stores carbon away from the atmosphere to where it can no longer contribute to climate change; this process is known as the .

However, other plankton, primarily bacteria and fungi, are involved in and their activity recycles chemical elements essential for other organisms. Together with the biological carbon pump, this decomposition activity can have .

Fascinating research

Plankton have also played a role in several human endeavors, including the evolution of science itself, advancing many theoretical developments in ecology, such as the study of . This diversity of plankton forms—including organisms that look like —have fascinated researchers.

Several theories or frameworks used throughout ecology have emerged from studying plankton, but their applications go further. For example, Russian biologist Georgy Gause observed competition among plankton, leading to his that's now commonly applied in socioeconomic contexts.

Breakthroughs and even Nobel Prizes (medicine) have stemmed from the study of plankton (, advancing allergy studies. Similarly, research on and the use of have contributed to further understanding of aging and cancer.

Certain plankton species are used as . Others are often used as models in and research.

Because of their foundational role in aquatic food webs, plankton are critical to many human economies. Many planktonic organisms are cultured directly for human consumption including jellyfish, krill, shrimp and copepod zooplankton.

Virtually all protein in aquatic ecosystems comes from plankton. Some are used as supplements, such as or from krill or copepods.

Several plankton-derived compounds are highly prized in medicine, and , including some plankton toxins used for their effects. are a group of enzymes produced by bioluminescent organisms, including many marine plankton, and are also important in biomedical research.

On the other hand, plankton can also lead to high economic costs when harmful algal blooms, like , occur along coastlines or cyanobacterial blooms arise in lakes.

Plankton benefits for humans

Finally, our research considers the role of plankton in human culture, recreation and well-being. Beyond their use as a food source and in medicine, plankton can be culturally important.

Bioluminescent marine dinoflagellates create incredibly powerful nighttime displays in coastal regions, forming the basis for cultural events and . Diatoms are a type of phytoplankton present in all aquatic ecosystems, and their silica-rich skeletons have been used for during the Stone Age and as .

The often strange structural forms of plankton have inspired architects and engineers, including the designers of and the former . Plankton have inspired many artists, the first being biologist .

The adopted the . This framework centers living from, with, in and as nature as a position from which to inform policies around biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Plankton are critical to all of these components. We all benefit from plankton due to their essential role in regulating aquatic habitats, their long-term involvement in climate regulation and the vital resources they provide to humanity.

Humanity lives with plankton as their incredible diversity connects life across land and water and is one of the driving forces behind Earth's ecological stability and ecosystem services that we value. Plankton are part of humanity's living in nature, which emphasizes their vital role in our identity, lifestyles and culture.

Plankton profoundly affect communities bordering water, but also those further away through plankton-inspired art and design. Finally, living as nature highlights the physical, mental and spiritual interconnectedness with the natural world.

We need to better recognize the value of plankton as a resource, and as an essential part of stabilizing Earth systems and maintaining them for human well-being.

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