Ocean life is very mysterious.To unfold the secrets, you will have to know about the smallest creatures, like plankton, up to the largest ones, the whales. The plankton population is responsible for the balance in the food web in the ocean.When you read about the huge size of whales, microscopic plants or animals called plankton may seem to hold no importance. However, they have a great role to play in the whole aquatic food chain. It goes without saying that the food chains in the oceans would collapse in the absence of plankton.You may be amazed to know that even baleen whales eat phytoplankton as well. Also, these small organisms are the primary producers of the oxygen we breathe on land as well as the creatures in the sea.The class of plankton called phytoplankton is also known as microalgae. They are very similar to terrestrial plants, as they too contain chlorophyll for photosynthesis. They, too, need sunlight to grow and survive. They release oxygen like other plants. Phytoplankton is known to be buoyant and commonly float on the surface of ocean water. Phytoplankton needs nitrates, sulfur, and phosphate to make proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.If you enjoy this article, why not also read about what animal has the cleanest mouth or what do bees eat here at Kidadl?What Does Plankton Mean?Plankton may be small, but the top predators, like whales, feed on them alongside krill and other small fish.It is interesting to know that there are two types of plankton: phytoplankton and zooplankton. They can be as small as 0.07-7.8 in (2-200 mm) depending upon the type. While phytoplanktons are plants and have chemical energy, zooplanktons are tiny animals.Phytoplankton is divided into two main classes: dinoflagellates and diatoms. Dinoflagellates have a whiplike tail. This is used to float and change directions in the shell. Diatoms do not have a tail. They have shells and float in the water current to travel.In the ecosystem of the ocean, phytoplankton is food for many creatures. They are mainly snails, shrimps, and comb jellies. However, if there are too many nutrients, the plankton populations may go out of control. They form algae blooms. They die in large numbers, and these dead plants can then produce highly toxic compounds that harm fish, mammals, and even people who use them as marine food.Not all algae blooms are bad. Some may just be the primary producers of oxygen in the area and not release any toxic chemicals. They, in fact, convert carbon dioxide in the air into oxygen.An interesting fact is that zooplankton eats phytoplankton. These are the staple food for these tiny fish, and even the top predators like whales eat planktons. All organisms have a major role to play in the food chains; they cannot be ignored. A few are so small that they can only be seen with a microscope, while others can be seen with the naked eye. They stay in the larval stage for a very short time only.Whales That Eat PlanktonPlankton is mostly eaten by the small fish lowest in the food chain.Right whales or baleen whales eat from the very bottom of the food chain. They eat phytoplankton in the large numbers present with a school of fish or swarms of fish. The finely fringed bleen in a whale helps it to strain the water copepods and zooplankton from the water it has gulped.They eat the smallest living organisms using this way of eating. It is strange that whales have a happy time snacking on creatures that we may not even see with our naked eyes.Kind Of Animals That Eat PlanktonPhytoplankton form the base of the aquatic food web. Their primary consumers are zooplankton, crustaceans, and small fish. Other fish, small sharks, baleen whales, and even corals feed upon these primary consumers.Large animals feed upon plankton directly too. You may be amazed to know that blue whales can eat 4.5 tons (4.08 tonnes) of krill or zooplankton animals in one single day.You know, if there were to be no planktons on Earth, then there would be too much carbon dioxide. This would make it difficult for us to breathe and make climate change worse. So, it is better to leave phytoplankton for fish.On the other hand, if there were too many phytoplankton due to too many nutrients in the sea, then there would be an algae bloom. These can cause toxic chemicals that harm marine animals as well as humans.Can We Eat Plankton?Zooplankton is eaten by small ocean animals like krill, small fish, and crustaceans.Plankton are natural products of the ocean. They are made up of rich minerals like calcium, iodine, iron, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, phosphorus, and vitamin E. That means it is very good for us humans.Phytoplanktons are basically algae that use sunlight for photosynthesis and to make oxygen. They are plants. It is safe to eat them. While zooplankton includes different species, they all have shells, so it is difficult to tell them apart. A few species are safe to be eaten, but a few of them contain toxic chemicals. That may make us humans very sick. They can cause severe diarrhea, dizziness, paralysis, and much more. So, it is better to leave all species of plankton alone.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for ‘What eats plankton? Delve deep into tiny plants and food chain facts!’, then why not take a look at ‘Birds egg binding: Here’s what you need to know!’, or ‘Do squirrels eat birds? Here’s why they might eat baby birds!’?
Ocean life is very mysterious.
