plankton vs. krill?

Question

Is there a difference between plankton and krill?

Answer 1

Krill are little crustaceans - related to shrimp and crabs. They are a major food source for many ocean creatures. But krill are not plankton.

The plankton organisms are smaller and include tiny drifting algae, eggs, larvae of many animals like coral or sponges, ....

Answer 2

Krill Plankton

Answer 3

Krill are distributed all round Antarctica carried by the circumpolar current which goes west to east all around the continent. Animal species in Antarctica that are directly dependent on krill are penguins, seals, seabirds, baleen whales, fish and squid. Krill, a thumb-sized, shrimplike animal, is a keystone species in the Antarctic ecosystem. In recent years, scientists have discovered evidence of declining krill populations, which could spell big trouble for other animals that depend on it for food. Plankton are microscopic organisms that live suspended in the water environment, and form a very important part of the freshwater community. They move via convection or wind induced currents. In almost every habitat of a freshwater ecosystem, thousands of these organisms can be found, and due to their small size and simplicity, they are capable of occupying large expanses of water and multiplying at an exponential rate. Plankton can be subdivided into two categories. Phytoplankton - Phytoplankton are microscopic plants which obtain their energy via photosynthesis. However, some species of bacteria are also capable of photosynthesis and also fall under this taxonomic category. They are important to the ecosystem because they are part of the primary producing community and assist in recycling elements such as carbon and sulphur which are required elsewhere in the community. Zooplankton - Zooplankton consist mainly of crustaceans and rotifers, and on the whole are relatively larger than their phytoplankton counterparts.

Answer 4

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Krill belong to the animals that make up the zooplankton. The "zoo" means that they are animals, the "plankton" means that they float in the upper reaches of the water column and are at the mercy of the ocean currents, being able to change their position up and down, but not able to swim against the current or migrate in the normal sense. Phytoplankton are very small ocean plants. They use sunlight to grow. Phytoplankton grow in huge numbers. Krill are small semi-transparent shrimp like crustaceans, about 4-5 cm (2") in length when fully grown. Krill feed on microscopic phytoplankton (“phyto” - plant). They can live for up to 6 years which is quite remarkable considering the wide variety of animals that feed on them in huge quantities. Krill are super-abundant and large when compared to other phytoplankton feeders. This means that many large animals such as seals, penguins, whales, and a myriad of birds are able to tap the food chain close to the production of the phytoplankton before energy is lost, They drift around in swarms that are so large it is difficult to imagine. Swarms estimated at containing 2 million tons of krill spreading over more than 450 square kilometers have been observed. This is the equivalent of 28.5 million human beings, approximately the entire population of Canada, in area about the size of Toronto. The krill population of the world has been estimated at outweighing the human population. The most effective way of catching krill are the great baleen plates of baleen whales, such as Blues, Rights, and Fin whales. Krill rise and fall in the water column depending on the time of day. Different whales feed at different depths and their filters are arranged slightly differently so they do not all compete for the same sized krill. Recent studies have shown that stocks of krill in Antarctica have declined dramatically in recent years. The reason for this is likely to be a fall in the amount of sea ice in the winter months particularly in the Antarctic Peninsula region. The Antarctic Peninsula, a key breeding ground for the krill, is one of the places in the world where there has been the greatest rise in temperatures due to global warming. Krill numbers may have dropped by as much as 80% since the 1970's - so today's stocks are a mere 1/5th of what they were only 30 years ago. The decline in krill may in turn account for the decline in the numbers in some penguin species. This decline in krill will also make it more difficult for the great baleen whales to return to pre-exploitation levels following their decimation by humans during the years from approximately 1925-1975.

Answer 5

Krill are planktonic organisms. (Bio teacher above has it wrong).

"Plankton" is sort of a catch-all referring to small organisms that aren't strong swimmers, and thus drift around with the currents near the surface of the oceans.

"Nekton" is the catch-all for organisms that are stronger swimmers, not so subject to drifting with currents, and swim between the surface and bottom.

"Benthos" is for bottom dwellers.