The Smallest Animals in the Water: Tiny but Mighty

Zooplankton are the smallest animals in the water. They feed on small floating plants and are food for fish. In some places, zooplankton have been studied for over 50 years because they give scientists information about water quality. In the San Francisco Estuary, many zooplankton species from far a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inFrontiers for young minds Vol. 10
Main Authors Winder, Monika, Hennessy, April, Barros, Arthur
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published 15.03.2022
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Summary:Zooplankton are the smallest animals in the water. They feed on small floating plants and are food for fish. In some places, zooplankton have been studied for over 50 years because they give scientists information about water quality. In the San Francisco Estuary, many zooplankton species from far away came hitch-hiking on ships, settled, multiplied, and reduced native zooplankton. Then, the number of zooplankton dropped by half because a hitch-hiking clam ate all phytoplankton. These dramatic changes did not leave much food for fish, which also began to drop in number in the Estuary. Thus, changes that occur with the smallest plants and animals in the water can reach all the way to the top of the food chain, and can even affect humans.
ISSN:2296-6846
2296-6846
DOI:10.3389/frym.2022.625050