PLANKTON VS.

ALGAE
What is the difference of plankton and algae?

PLANKTON
Plankton—derived from the Greek root planktos, meaning “wanderer” or “drifter”—are unable to swim
against currents, tides, or waves. The word refers to the numerous organisms floating
throughout aquatic ecosystems.
Scientists classify plankton in several ways, including by size, type, and how long they spend drifting.
But the most basic categories divide plankton into two groups: phytoplankton (plants) and zooplankton
(animals).
 Phytoplankton are the tiny, plant-like producers of the plankton community. They
include bacteria and algae that form the base of aquatic food webs. Common phytoplankton
include diatoms, dinoflagellates, cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), and green algae.
Through photosynthesis, phytoplankton use sunlight, nutrients, carbon dioxide, and water to produce
oxygen and nutrients for other organisms. With 71% of the Earth covered by the ocean, phytoplankton
are responsible for producing up to 50% of the oxygen we breathe. These microscopic organisms also
cycle most of the Earth’s carbon dioxide between the ocean and atmosphere.
  Zooplankton are the animal-like primary consumers of plankton communities. In turn, zooplankton then
become food for larger, secondary consumers such as fish. Zooplankton include microscopic and
macroscopic organisms. Some zooplankto—such as copepods, krill, and arrow worms—will drift the
ocean as plankton for their entire lives. Other zooplankton live only a portion of their lives as ocean
drifters. These include oysters, crabs, and some fish.

Plankton also play a role at the end of the food web—as decomposers and detritivores. These plankton,
including bacteria, fungi, and worms, break down and consume dead plant and animal material that falls
through the water column as “marine snow.” Marine snow often includes fecal matter, sand, soot, skin, and
other organic and inorganic particles descending to the seafloor.
 ALGAE
Etymology:
- The term algae is from the Latin alga, meaning “seaweed”. The descriptive word algal pertains to,
characterizes, or relates to alga(e).
Definition:
- ALGAE - are photosynthetic organisms that possess photosynthetic pigments such as chlorophyll. However, they
lack true roots, stems, and leaves characteristic of vascular plants. Some of them are unicellular whereas others
are multicellular. They may also form colonies. Most algae are aquatic. Others are terrestrial and may be found on
moist soil, trees, and rocks.

Algal groups
- The photosynthetic pigments are used as a basis to classify algae into major groups, particularly green
algae, red algae, brown algae, and golden algae. 

Green algae
- Green algae refer to any of the photosynthetic algae characterized by containing the
pigments, chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b. They store food as starch within plastids. 

Red algae
- Red algae are those belonging to the phylum Rhodophyta. They are characterized by their reddish color due to
the presence of accessory pigments, such as phycoerythrin, phycocyanin, and allophycocyanins in
phycobillisomes, aside from the chlorophyll. Examples of red algae
are Rhodella,  Compsopogon,  Stylonema, Bangia, Porphyra, Porphyridium cruentum,
Hildenbrandia, Nemalion, Corallina officinalis, Ahnfeltia, Gelidium, etc.

Brown algae
- Brown algae include those of the phylum Phaeophyta. They are characterized by their brown or
greenish-brown color due to the presence of brown pigments, such as fucoxanthin, in addition to
chlorophyll. 
Golden algae
- Golden algae are those belonging to the phylum Chrysophyceae. They are distinguished mainly by the
presence of two specialized flagella wherein one has mastigonemes and the other is
smooth. Prymnesium parvum is one of the well-known golden algae due to its association with fish kills.

Prymnesium parvum

What is the difference of plankton and algae?

Plankton are organism that is carried by tides and currents, and cannot swim well enough to move against
these forces whereas algae are photosynthetic organisms that possess photosynthetic pigments such
as chlorophyll. However, they lack true roots, stems, and leaves.

References:

What are plankton? (n.d.). https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/plankton.html

Plankton Revealed. (n.d.). https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/plankton-revealed/

Biology Online. (2022, February 21). Algae - Definition and Examples - Biology Online Dictionary. Biology
Articles, Tutorials & Dictionary Online. https://www.biologyonline.com/dictionary/algae