AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -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.

Detailed explanation-2: -Producers. Primary producers-including bacteria, phytoplankton, and algae-form the lowest trophic level, the base of the aquatic food web. Primary producers synthesize their own energy without needing to eat.

Detailed explanation-3: -Some phytoplankton are bacteria, some are protists, and most are single-celled plants. Among the common kinds are cyanobacteria, silica-encased diatoms, dinoflagellates, green algae, and chalk-coated coccolithophores.

Detailed explanation-4: -Producers in the ocean are phytoplanktons. Diatoms are one of the classes of phytoplankton and are therefore known as the chief producer of the ocean.

Detailed explanation-5: -Phytoplankton are microscopic marine algae. Phytoplankton, also known as microalgae, are similar to terrestrial plants in that they contain chlorophyll and require sunlight in order to live and grow. Most phytoplankton are buoyant and float in the upper part of the ocean, where sunlight penetrates the water.