They are the most numerous organisms on Earth. Although they are mostly very small, together they weigh more than all the whales, dolphins and fish in the oceans combined. Plankton are miniature marine marvels – and they may be the key to our own survival.
Living Coasts in Torquay is turning the spotlight on plankton with a series of events under the banner of the Floating Zoo. Plankton are aquatic plants and animals that drift with the tides. The word plankton comes from the Greek word “planktos” meaning “drifter” or “wanderer”.
The Euphotic Zone is a display of magnified images of plankton. The 34 images with supporting text are on show around Living Coasts. The Euphotic Zone is the water near the surface where there is enough sunlight for photosynthesis to occur.
The display, sponsored by Carl Zeiss, marks the 350th anniversary of the Royal Society. Dr Richard Kirby, Royal Society Research Fellow at the Marine Biological Association, produced the images.
Events Coordinator Kate Hall said: “This is nature as art. The images are stunning – and provide a great opportunity to show everyone just how amazing plankton is – and how important it is, too.”
In addition, Torquay’s coastal zoo will be running daily half-term plankton workshops from Saturday 13th to Sunday 21st February. Other half term plankton activities will include making nets and trawling for and identifying plankton.
Plankton forms the basis of the entire marine food web. There are thousands of types of plankton. A common kind is the copepod, a tiny crustacean. It would take about a quarter of a million copepods to fill a coffee cup.
Plankton consume the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. Large populations could reduce carbon dioxide levels, so helping to combat climate change.
Plankton are usually hard to see with the naked eye, though the largest, the lion’s mane jellyfish, reaches eight feet across and 100 feet in length.
An educator from the Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science (SAHFOS) will be at Living Coasts on 17th and 18th February during half term. SAHFOS is an international charity that operates the Continuous Plankton Recorder survey. The Foundation has been collecting data on the biogeography and ecology of plankton since 1931.
For more information go to www.livingcoasts.org.uk or ring (01803) 202470.
ENDS
Philip Knowling 01803 697568
