Critters of the Chesapeake Bay

1. Critters of the Chesapeake Bay Plankton

2. The term plankton is applied to those organisms that are the “drifters” of the sea.

3. Plankton Most of these organisms are small and if they can swim, their progress is so slow, that they move very little compared to the currents.

4. Plankton Most marine organisms spend at least part of their lives in the plankton.

5. Plankton Everything from bacteria, protozoans (including algae), and animals can be found in the plankton.

6. Plankton Because of this abundance of potential food in the water, many of the marine organisms feed on plankton.

7. Plankton In fact, an abundance of plankton in a particular area usually means an abundance of other marine organisms.

8. Plankton Plankton is usually collected in a net like this one. The size of the net’s mesh will determine the size, and therefore the type of plankton collected.

9. Plankton Types Let’s take a look at some of the most common types of plankton that are found in the bay.

10. Plankton Types Diatoms are a type of “plant” plankton that is common in the bay.

11. Copepodsare the most abundant of the animal plankton types. They are Crustaceans that feed near the base of the food chain on diatoms.

12. Barnacle Nauplii Barnacle nauplii are often common in inshore samples. Barnacles go from this stage to a settling cypris stage and then to the sessile adult stage.

13. Zoea Crabs, like many Crustaceans have a larval stage known as a zoea. At certain times of the year it can dominate the samples!