phytoplankton

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noun phy·to·plank·ton \ ˌfī-tō-ˈplaŋ(k)-tən , -ˌtän \

Definition of phytoplankton

:planktonic plant life

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phytoplanktonic

play \ˌfī-tō-plaŋ(k)-ˈtä-nik\ adjective

Recent Examples of phytoplankton from the Web

The only BUIs left on the cleanup list are phytoplankton and zooplankton populations and restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption.

— frank s. abderholden, Lake County News-Sun, "'The next level of clean': EPA grant to help assess health of Waukegan Harbor, Great Lakes," 27 July 2017
Other offshore parts of the Great Lakes have deficient levels of the nutrients, starving phytoplankton species that form the base of its food chain.

— sabrina eaton, cleveland.com, "Great Lakes aren't doing so great, says new government study," 20 June 2017
These types of phytoplankton blooms are common in the Black Sea, but scientists can’t say for certain why this year’s bloom burst so brilliantly.

— joanna klein, New York Times, "The Black Sea Turned Turquoise, Thanks to a Phytoplankton Bloom," 16 June 2017
But don't be fooled; phytoplankton bloom means the waters of the Bosphorous, Golden Horn, and Black Sea are actually filled with microscopic organisms.

— ryan craggs, Condé Nast Traveler, "Istanbul's Waters Turn Turquoise Blue After Phytoplankton Bloom," 16 June 2017
But a huge bloom of phytoplankton has illuminated it — and the connected Bosporus and the Golden Horn of Istanbul — with beautiful swirls of milky blue-green.

— joanna klein, New York Times, "The Black Sea Turned Turquoise, Thanks to a Phytoplankton Bloom," 16 June 2017
If the phytoplankton blooms are too large, this can lead to eutrophication, when oxygen is lost from the water and kills marine life.

— elizabeth howell space.com contributor, Fox News, "Tiny organisms turn the Black Sea turquoise in amazing NASA picture," 15 June 2017
Diatoms, on the other hand — another type of phytoplankton found in the Black Sea — can make the water look somewhat darker.

— elizabeth howell space.com contributor, Fox News, "Tiny organisms turn the Black Sea turquoise in amazing NASA picture," 15 June 2017
Since the 1950s the Chesapeake Bay has had a 10-fold increase in chlorophyll, an indicator of phytoplankton growth.

— National Geographic, "How the Bay Area Is Restoring Nature's Delicate Balance," 13 June 2017

These 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.