Part of a series on
Plankton
Trophic mode Phytoplankton Zooplankton Mixoplankton Mycoplankton Bacterioplankton Virioplankton
By size Heterotrophic picoplankton Microalgae Microzooplankton Nanophytoplankton calcareous Photosynthetic picoplankton Picoeukaryote Picoplankton Marine microplankton
By taxonomy Algae diatoms coccolithophores dinoflagellates Protozoans radiolarians foraminiferans amoebae ciliates Bacteria cyanobacteria Archaea Viruses
By habitat Aeroplankton Geoplankton Marine plankton prokaryotes protists Freshwater plankton
Other types Gelatinous zooplankton Holoplankton Ichthyoplankton Meroplankton Pseudoplankton Tychoplankton
Blooms Algal bloom Critical depth Cyanobacterial bloom Harmful algal bloom Spring bloom Eutrophication Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt Great Calcite Belt Milky seas effect
Related topics Algaculture CLAW hypothesis CPR Diel vertical migration f-ratio Marine primary production Ocean fertilization iron Paradox of the plankton Planktivore Planktology Thin layers NAAMES
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Planktology is the study of plankton, various small drifting plants, animals and microorganisms that inhabit bodies of water. Planktology topics include primary production, energy flow and the carbon cycle.

Plankton drive the "biological pump", a process by which the ocean ecosystem transports carbon from the surface euphotic zone to the ocean's depths. Such processes are vital to carbon dioxide sinks, one of several possibilities for countering global warming. Modern planktology includes behavioral aspects of drifting organisms, engaging modern in situ imaging devices.

Some planktology projects allow the public to participate online, such as the Long-term Ecosystem Observatory.

There are a very large number of, often closely related or similar looking, plankton species which makes classification a challenge for scientists. Their habitat also adds challenges to their study.^[1]

Notable planktologists