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Plankton: Tiny Organisms, Big Impact

Explore the fascinating world of plankton, their types, roles in marine ecosystems, and importance to life on Earth.

Grade 8 Science BiologyPlankton
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Multiple ChoiceFill in the BlanksTrue / FalseShort AnswerCustom

Standards

MS-LS2-1MS-LS2-3MS-LS2-4

Topics

planktonmarine biologyecosystemfood webscience
7 sections · Free to use · Printable
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Plankton: Tiny Organisms, Big Impact

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Read each question carefully and answer to the best of your ability. Good luck!

1. Which of the following best describes plankton?

a

Large marine mammals that eat fish.

b

Microscopic organisms that drift in water.

c

Bottom-dwelling organisms in the ocean.

d

Fast-swimming predators in deep-sea environments.

2. Which type of plankton are producers and form the base of most marine food webs?

a

Zooplankton

b

Phytoplankton

c

Bacterioplankton

d

Ichthyoplankton

3. Plankton are organisms that drift in the   and freshwater environments.

4. Phytoplankton perform  , converting sunlight into energy.

5. Zooplankton are consumers, feeding on phytoplankton and other small  .

6. All plankton are microscopic and cannot be seen with the naked eye.

T

True

F

False

7. Plankton play a crucial role in regulating Earth's climate by absorbing carbon dioxide.

T

True

F

False

8. Explain the difference between phytoplankton and zooplankton.

9. Describe at least two reasons why plankton are important to marine ecosystems and global processes.

Observe the image of diatoms below, which are a type of phytoplankton.

Diatoms through the microscope

10. How does the appearance of these diatoms suggest their role as primary producers (photosynthesis)?