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Plankton: Ocean Drifters

11 minutes 8 seconds

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Animal on the ocean floor with branch like tangled limbs. Caption: All these zooplankton are food for larger animals in the ocean.

Explains the characteristics of plankton and its two types: phytoplankton and zooplankton. Animation shows where plankton flourish and what they need to reproduce. Notes the importance of sunlight, the thermocline, and moderate temperatures for plankton to "bloom." Stresses that without plankton, sea life would vanish.

Media Details

Runtime: 11 minutes 8 seconds

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