plankto-, plankt-, -plankton

(Greek: passively drifting, wandering, or roaming)

planktivorous (adjective) (not comparable)
Regarding a creature that feeds on small oceanic plants or animals: Planktivorous organisms consist of most fish larvae and many pelagic animals, such as anchovies, and sponges.
planktohyponeuston (s) (noun) (no pl)
All the organisms that accumulate near the surface of water at night but live at lower levels during the day: Planktohyponeuston is the group of little aquatic life forms that gather near the top of the water when it is dark and spend the hours of light in the main water mass.
planktology, planktonology (s) (noun) (no pl)
The branch of biology that deals with plankton: Jill was very interested in the minute flora and fauna of the seas, especially of the sustenance of planktivorous fish and whales, and decided to study planktology ot a famous university.
plankton (s) (noun), plankton (pl)
1. Those organisms that are unable to maintain their position or distribution independent of the movement of water or air masses: Jane learned in her biology class that most plankton were not capable of swimming by themselves independent of water motion.
2. A general term for many floating marine forms, mostly of microscopic or minute size: Plankton are moved passively by winds, waves, tides, or currents.

Plankton include diatoms, algae, copepods, and many protozoans, crustacea, mollusks, and worms.

Plankton are demonstrating against planktivorous whales.

—Word Info image © ALL rights reserved.

There is no doubt that plankton are supporters of the Japanese endeavors to kill more whales and hope that they succeed in eliminating more for their "research"! Some whales eat fish, and some species of whales are equipped to eat plankton in great quantities.

Plant Plankton Also Exist in the Oceans

Plant plankton in the Southern Ocean suck carbon dioxide out of the air during photosynthesis, and when they die or are consumed by other organisms, some of that carbon ends up on the ocean bed.

It is well known that the amount of iron available to the plankton is what limits their growth; and the iron is carried across the ocean in the same clouds of dust that carry aluminium.

So more dust may mean more plankton, and therefore a bigger conveyor belt sinking carbon dioxide to the bottom of the ocean; one of the Earth's biggest carbon sinks.

—"Patagonian dust clouds settle on the Antarctic" by Catherine Brahic;
NewScientist.com news service, March, 2007.
planktonic (adjective), more planktonic, most planktonic
Relating to, being, or characteristic of very small organisms that float: Most whales and many fishes live entirely upon planktonic creatures, which are small and not self-movable, and swim feebly near the surface of the water. Whales strain these tiny forms of life as they take them in from the water while swimming along in with open mouths.
—Compiled from The Principles of General Biology
by Mary S. Gardiner and Sarah C. Flemister; The MacMillan Co.;
New York; 1967; page 408.
planktont (s) (noun), planktonts (pl)
An individual tiny plant or animal organism: Ginnie was simply amazed at the innumerable kinds of planktonts that Prof. Timmons was telling them about in her biology class.
planktophile (s) (noun), planktophiles (pl)
Something that thrives in plankton.
planktophilous (adjective) (not comparable)
In biology, regarding a life form that lives or thrives in plankton: Some planktophilous creatures can be small protozoans or metazoans.
planktophily (s) (noun) (no pl)
A substance or material that prospers in plankton.
planktophyte (s) (noun), planktophytes (pl)
A planktonic plant; a member of the phytoplankton: For her term paper in biology, Jane had to find and identify planktophytes, or those plankton that obtain energy by photosynthesis.
Planktospheroidea, planktosphaeroidea (s) (noun) (no pl)
An existing group of primitive worm-like animals, or hemichordata: In the Bay of Biscay, two types of planktonic, ciliated larvae, known as planktosphaeroidea, have been discovered. The inner composition suggests that the planktosphaeroidea are hemichordates, but the adults are unknown.
planktotroph (s) (noun), planktotrophs (pl)
An organism that feeds on small oceanic plant or animal creatures: Whales, such as the humpback whale, are considered to be planktotrophs in that they consume 1,5 tons of planktonic organisms and fish every day!
planktotrophic (adjective) (not comparable)
Referring to marine creatures that gain substance from plankton: Barnacles and anemones are planktotrophic organisms that feed on plankton for food.
planktotrophy (s) (noun) (no pl)
The state of being a planktotroph or planktotrophic: Planktotrophy, including the feeding habits of copepods or baleen whales, has interested many scientists over the years.
plantospheroidea (s) (noun) (no pl)
Hemichordata that are only known as planktonic larva: Plantospheroidea are very simple and underdeveloped worm-like animals that are in the form of transparent ciliated spheres.

For more details about planktonic life, see Plankton Varieties.

Inter-related cross references, directly or indirectly, involving the "sea" and the "ocean" bodies of water: abysso- (bottomless); Atlantic; batho-, bathy- (depth); bentho- (deep, depth); halio-, halo- (salt or "the sea"); mare, mari- (sea); necto-, nekto- (swimming); oceano-; pelago- (sea, ocean); thalasso- (sea, ocean).