Plankton trawl

What is plankton ?

Plankton are organisms

that drift in the ocean

because they either do

not swim or are too

small to resist ocean

currents.

There are two types of plankton

Plant plankton =

Phytoplankton – Need sunlight +

nutrients

– Make sugar + O2

– First order producers

Animal plankton =

Zooplankton – First order consumers

Where does plankton live?

• Plant plankton move with the currents,

remaining in the top few metres of

water

• Animal plankton are free swimming,

hiding in the day and feeding at night

Think about it!

• Why do you think

plankton are

almost

transparent?

Who are plankton? Some big animals

start life as plankton…

• Many larger

animals are

plankton when

they are young

• The plankton may

be baby starfish,

jellyfish or

shrimps

http://www.livingclassrooms.org/lbo/plankton/index.html

They’re called -Meroplankton

• Meroplankton spend only the larval or early stages of their life as part of the plankton and spend their adult lives on the reef.

• Many well-known animals found on the Great Barrier Reef spend time as free-swimming meroplankton, bearing little or no resemblance to the adult they will become.

• Meroplankton includes sea urchins, starfish, sea squirts, most of the sea snails and slugs, crabs, lobsters, octopus, marine worms and most reef fishes.

Examples of Meroplankton 1. Tube Anemone

Larvae Adult

2. Sea cucumber

Larvae Adult

3. Sea star (starfish)

Larvae Adult

Crustaceans display some of the most spectacular metamorphoses from free-swimming meroplankton to reef-dwelling adult.

Slipper Lobster larva

Slipper Lobster larva

Slipper lobster adult

Holoplankton

• Holoplankton • Holoplankton spend

their entire lives as plankton.

• This group includes krill, copepods, various pelagic (free swimming) sea snails and slugs, jellyfish and a small number of the marine worms.

Holoplankton Example 1.Diatoms

The food chain • All creatures, including

people, are dependent on plankton

• Phytoplankton are the beginning of the food chain

• Zooplankton eat phytoplankton, which provide food for larger creatures

Example of a food chain

Plankton Trawling

• Shorts

• NO shoes

• Workbook +

pencil can go to

the dry lab

• Listen carefully !

Setting the net

• Find a spot

where you can

see

• Listen carefully

• Watch the

process

Trawling

• Move carefully around the boat.

• Try spotlighting marine life in the water.

• Enjoy the lights of Yeppoon.

• Watch for turtles, stingrays, squid and fish

Retrieve net

• The teacher will retrieve the net

• Inspect for jellyfish

• Bring the net aboard

Bio-luminescent

• Light made by life

• Lights out !

• Rub the net

• What do you see?

• Why?

• How?

Pour it in

• Pour the catch into

your specimen

container

• Look after your

sample

• Don’t shake or drop

• Live animals !!

• What can you see?

Getting off

• Wait for instructions

• Hold the sample jar

carefully

• Watch your step

• Wait at the light for

your teacher

Back to the Dry lab

• To see your catch

you will need to

listen carefully

• Tip off excess water

• Place sample into

Petri dish

See your catch

• Take turns

• Share your

discoveries

• What can you

identify ?