Phytoplankton

Definition of Phytoplankton: Photosynthesizing microscopic biotic organisms which float or swim weakly in fresh or salt water bodies. Phytoplankton are extremely diverse, varying from photosynthesising bacteria (cyanobacteria), to plant-like diatoms, to armour-plated coccolithophores . This is the common definition for Phytoplankton, other definitions can be discussed in the article

Different types of phytoplankton: see Marine Plankton. See also: Algal bloom dynamics.