phytoplankton
noun
, -ˌtän\
Definition of phytoplankton
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Other Words from phytoplankton
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adjective
Examples of phytoplankton in a Sentence
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During photosynthesis, the chlorophyll in the phytoplankton absorbs the blue light on the spectrum, making algae-rich regions appear greener. — Jill Kiedaisch, Popular Mechanics, "Half of the World's Oceans Will Change in Color by the End of this Century," 5 Feb. 2019 Microscopic marine algae, or phytoplankton, serves as the base of many aquatic food webs. — Jill Kiedaisch, Popular Mechanics, "Half of the World's Oceans Will Change in Color by the End of this Century," 5 Feb. 2019 The brand says that Blackdrop gets its color from the formula's mix of mattifying bamboo charcoal powder and smoothing black pearl, while vitamin E hydrates and phytoplankton extract wards off pollution. — Rachel Nussbaum, Glamour, "This Black Primer Works Like Magic on Your Skin," 24 Sep. 2018 It was already known that elevated CO2 in the ocean stimulates some types of phytoplankton. — Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, "Herring could actually benefit from ocean acidification," 25 Mar. 2018 When phytoplankton die, their remains sink to the twilight zone, carrying some of their carbon with them. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "NASA Is Stepping Into the Twilight Zone," 19 June 2018 When spring arrives, two primary factors create a change: the phytoplankton bloom removes CO2 from the water through photosynthesis, and the water gets warmer, making conditions more favorable for shell production. — Laine Welch, Anchorage Daily News, "For Alaska sockeye salmon, record highs in Bristol Bay, record lows nearly everywhere else," 9 July 2018 The phytoplankton themselves live above the twilight zone, residing in the sunlit upper ocean. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "NASA Is Stepping Into the Twilight Zone," 19 June 2018 The omnivorous crustaceans graze on phytoplankton in open water, and some larger adults crawl along the sea floor. — Elaina Zachos, National Geographic, "Thousands of Tiny Red Crustaceans Strand on California Beach," 12 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'phytoplankton.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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