• Question: How does the shape of plankton change how they live?

    Asked by anon-205632 to Russell on 4 Mar 2019.
    • Photo: Russell Arnott

      Russell Arnott answered on 4 Mar 2019:

      Plankton can come in all different shapes and sizes. Some are heavy and round so sink easily – this helps them get nutrients from depth, but because they’re plants they also need sunlight which is found at the surface. SO these plankton rely on currents to move them back up towards the light. Other plankton have spikes and spines sticking out of them which slows them down as they sink (a bit like a parachute) – this means that they can stay closer to the surface easily to access the sunlight to grow. Some plankton can detect chemicals given off by predators in the water so grow spikes to make it harder for them to be eaten or bunch themselves together in colonies to make them too big to be eaten.
      Because some species can change their shape to meet their needs, it can be really difficult to study them!

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