Phytoplankton are aquatic organisms of plant origin, which inhabit seas, lakes and rivers. They are autotrophic species (they make their own food). Phytoplankton is characterized by being an extremely small organism, and although there are different varieties, anatomically they are very simple: a strap that allows it to move, uneven units and gas vacuoles.
Thanks to its simplicity, phytoplankton can reproduce very easily, making their group countless. Some of the species that can be found are: cyanophytes or blue-green algae, brown algae, diatoms, dinoflagellates, coccolithophores, among others.
Phytoplankton is located in the most superficial part of the seas, this is because it needs the presence of light to carry out the photosynthesis process. It is found distributed throughout the seas of the planet, being very important for the accumulation of oxygen in the seas and the atmosphere.
Phytoplankton serves as food for all marine species, from small fish to large aquatic animals such as whales, they feed on phytoplankton to survive.
The importance of phytoplankton is that it is one of the primary producers of the marine world. Just as grass and vegetables are primary foods of the terrestrial environment, phytoplankton fulfills the same function. He is responsible for fixing carbon dioxide, so that it becomes part of the food chain, representing a source of energy.
One of the difficulties that could arise and that has been the object of study by biologists, is the appearance of toxins in them, which would harm the quality of the water, which in turn would have repercussions on human consumption or on the irrigation of crops.
On the other hand, specialists in marine biology are concerned about the low diversity of phytoplankton, as this would have a negative effect on the warming of the oceans. If the phytoplankton cannot adapt to the variation in temperature, their population will decline violently, which would cause the species involved to be harmed
This class of microscopic plants do not have the ability to absorb excess carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by man, which would intervene in the effectiveness of photosynthesis and therefore in the environmental harmony of the earth.
