Mind-blowing fact: A massive group of single-celled algae called diatoms are considered champions of photosynthesis. Why? Diatoms are responsible for an estimated 20% to 40% — maybe even 60% — of the Earth’s oxygen. At the very least, that’s every fourth or fifth breath that you take.
Diatoms are a very common kind of phytoplankton that drifts in our oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, and even our soil, and yet they are just one group of microscopic plankton that contributes to Earth’s ecosystems.
Humans need plankton, but most people go through life without seeing one up close. Plankton are the unsung heroes of the ocean — the tiny, beautiful, lungs of the planet and food for the sea.
In this episode of KQED’s Deep Look, we get a quick primer on the phytoplankton and zooplankton that live as drifting, oxygen-producing morsels in our ocean food chain. From Drifter to Dynamo: The Story of Plankton.
Related link: Upwelling. Related videos: More from Deep Look and Para Films’ The Plankton Chronicles.
This Webby award-winning video collection exists to help teachers, librarians, and families spark kid wonder and curiosity. TKSST features smarter, more meaningful content than what's usually served up by YouTube's algorithms, and amplifies the creators who make that content.
Curated, kid-friendly, independently-published. Support this mission by becoming a sustaining member today.