| Description |
1 online resource |
| Contents |
Intro -- Introduction -- Contents -- About the Author -- 1: A Teaspoon of Seawater: A Tiny Ecosystem -- 2: The Marine Biological Pump -- 3: The Four Seasons of Plankton -- 4: The Rhythms of Plankton -- Circadian Rhythms -- Circalunar Rhythms -- Circannual Rhythms -- Multi-Year Cycles -- 5: Plankton, Mussels with French Fries, and Diarrhea -- What Are the So-Called "Red Tides"? -- Why Do HABs Occur? -- How Do They Affect Marine and Non-marine Life? -- 6: Are There Carnivorous Plants in the Sea? -- 7: The Most Formidable Predators of the Ocean: The Protists |
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Major Feeding Strategies in Protists -- 8: Copepods: Good Things Come in Small Packages -- What Are Copepods? -- The Fastest Animals -- Dietary Preferences -- Finding the Right Mate -- A Life From Larva to Larva -- Why Are Copepods So Important? -- Sapphirina, an Astonishing Show of Light and Color -- 9: Water Fleas, Matriarchy, and a Parasite Named Like a German Sausage -- What Happens in the Sea? -- An Army of Female Clones -- 10: Gelatinous Plankton: Itchy Jellyfish, Appendicularians with Luxury Chalets, Filter Barrels, and Other Extraordinary Creatures -- Appendicularians |
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Salps and Doliolids -- Pyrosomes -- Jellyfish -- Ctenophores -- Phronima: A Plankton Organism That Came to Hollywood -- 11: Holoplankton and Meroplankton: Two Peculiar Terms for Common Creatures -- 12: Feeding Mechanisms in Zooplankton -- Strange Numbers and Viscous Environments -- Prey, Where Are You? -- Feeding Mechanisms in Zooplankton -- 13: Evading Predators: The Clever Tactics of Plankton Survival -- Evasive Mechanisms: Avoiding Unwanted Contact -- Defense Mechanisms: When the Threat Is Unavoidable -- Evolutionary Arms Race: A Dynamic Duel -- 14: Bioluminescent Plankton |
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What Organisms Emit Light? -- Why Do They Glow? -- How Do They Produce Light? -- 15: Global Warming and Plankton -- Temperature Effects on Plankton -- The Role of the Ocean on the Climate -- Is There a Solution? -- So, What Does the Future Hold? -- 16: Plankton Adaptations to Extreme Environments -- Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents -- Thriving in the Icy Realms -- Adaptations to Extreme Pressures: Prospering in the Deep -- Coping with High Solar Irradiation at the Surface -- Living Without Oxygen -- The Lessons of Extreme Adaptations -- 17: The Fragility of Plankton -- Some Examples |
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18: From Land and Sea -- 19: Plastic: You Are Plankton and To Plankton You Shall Return -- But Is Plastic Truly As Bad As It Is Made Out To Be? -- Why Should We Be Concerned About Microplastics? -- Are Microplastics Harmful? -- 20: Why Are There No Insects in the Sea? -- 21: Harnessing the Power of Plankton: A Revolutionary Approach to Industry -- The Use of Plankton in Biotechnology and Other Biology-Related Industries -- The Role of Plankton in Biofuel Production -- Harnessing Diatoms in Construction -- A Tiny Solution for Feeding Our Growing Population |
| Summary |
Marine plankton, despite their tiny size, are crucial for the functioning of marine food webs. It is not just about one organism eating another; when this happens, it helps release the nutrients accumulated within living matter, making them available again for microalgae. Plankton are present in freshwater and in all the seas and oceans on the planet. Moreover, they are responsible for supporting life on Earth and has provided us (on geological timescales) with a significant portion of the oxygen we breathe. In just a small spoonful of seawater, we can find around fifty million viruses, five million bacteria, hundreds of thousands of small unicellular flagellates, thousands of microscopic algae, five heterotrophic ciliates or dinoflagellates, and, with some luck, a small crustacean like copepods. This book aims to bridge the gap between scientific research and the general public, offering a captivating exploration of the fascinating world of marine plankton. Through engaging narratives and visually compelling illustrations, readers will gain insights into the importance of plankton in marine ecosystems, their diverse forms, and the crucial role they play in maintaining our planet's health |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references |
| Notes |
Machine-generated record |
| Subject |
Plankton.
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| Genre/Form |
Electronic books
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| Form |
Electronic book
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| ISBN |
9783031507663 |
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3031507665 |
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