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Plankton Microscope Lab

Student
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๐ŸŒŠ Introduction to Plankton

Plankton are microscopic organisms that drift in the ocean. Despite their tiny size, they are the foundation of marine food webs and play a crucial role in Earth's carbon cycle.

๐ŸŽฏ Learn to identify phytoplankton and zooplankton
๐Ÿ”ฌ Prepare microscope slides properly
๐ŸŒ Understand plankton's role in the carbon cycle

๐Ÿงฐ Tools & Instruments for Studying Plankton

Marine biologists use specialized equipment to collect and study these microscopic organisms

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Plankton Net
Fine mesh net (20-200 ฮผm) towed behind boats to filter plankton from seawater. Different mesh sizes capture different organism sizes.
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Compound Microscope
Magnifies samples 40x-1000x to see plankton details. Uses light passing through thin specimens on glass slides.
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Pipette
Transfers precise drops of water samples onto slides. Allows isolation of individual organisms for closer study.
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Sedgewick Rafter Cell
Special counting chamber that holds exactly 1 mL of sample in a grid pattern for accurate population counts.
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Niskin Bottle
Collects water samples at specific depths. Triggered remotely to capture plankton from different ocean layers.
๐Ÿ“ท
FlowCam / Imaging System
Automated imaging that photographs thousands of plankton per minute for rapid identification and counting.

๐ŸŒ The Role of Plankton in the Carbon Cycle

Plankton are tiny but mighty โ€” they're essential to regulating Earth's climate!

โ˜€๏ธ
Sunlight
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๐ŸŒฟ
Phytoplankton absorb COโ‚‚
โ†’
๐Ÿฆ
Zooplankton eat them
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โฌ‡๏ธ
Carbon sinks to deep ocean
๐ŸŒฌ๏ธ
COโ‚‚ Absorption
Phytoplankton absorb billions of tons of COโ‚‚ each year through photosynthesis โ€” roughly equal to all land plants and forests combined!
โฌ‡๏ธ
Biological Carbon Pump
When plankton die or are eaten, carbon-rich waste sinks to the deep ocean floor where it can be stored for thousands of years, removing COโ‚‚ from the atmosphere.
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Climate Regulation
Without the biological carbon pump, atmospheric COโ‚‚ levels would be about 50% higher, making Earth significantly warmer than it is today.
๐Ÿ’จ
Oxygen Production
Phytoplankton produce 50-80% of Earth's oxygen through photosynthesis. Every other breath you take comes from the ocean!

๐ŸŒฟ Phytoplankton Plant-like โ€ข Produce oxygen through photosynthesis

Click each card to flip and learn the facts!

Studied: 0 / 5

๐Ÿฆ Zooplankton Animal-like โ€ข Must consume other organisms for energy

Studied: 0 / 4

๐Ÿ“ Knowledge Check

Score: 0 / 5

Answer all 5 questions correctly to unlock the next stage. Use what you learned from the flashcards!

๐ŸŽ‰ Quiz Complete!

You passed! Ready to collect your sample.

๐Ÿšค Collect Your Seawater Sample

๐Ÿšค
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๐Ÿงช Sample: Empty

Click the boat to deploy your plankton net!

The net will collect microscopic organisms from the water column.

๐Ÿ”ง Prepare Your Microscope Slide

Place slide here
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1. Glass Slide

Clean microscope slide

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2. Pipette & Sample

Add drop of seawater

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3. Cover Slip

Protect the sample

Preparation Checklist

Place glass slide
โœ“
Add water sample
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Add cover slip

๐Ÿ”ฌ Identify the Plankton

๐Ÿ” Identify the Organism

Click on an organism, then select its type

Click on an organism in the microscope

Progress

0 / 8 identified

๐ŸŽ‰ Lab Complete!

0%

Identification Accuracy

๐ŸŒฟ Phytoplankton

๐Ÿฆ Zooplankton

๐ŸŒ The Role of Plankton in the Carbon Cycle

โ˜€๏ธ
Sunlight
โ†’
๐ŸŒฟ
Phytoplankton absorb COโ‚‚
โ†’
๐Ÿฆ
Zooplankton eat them
โ†’
โฌ‡๏ธ
Carbon sinks deep

Phytoplankton absorb billions of tons of COโ‚‚ yearly through photosynthesis โ€” about the same as all land plants! When zooplankton eat them and die, carbon sinks to the deep ocean. This "biological carbon pump" helps regulate Earth's climate.

๐Ÿชฃ Plankton Trawl Challenge

90
Seconds
0
Points
0
Catches
Common (10 pts)
Uncommon (25 pts)
Rare (50 pts)
Legendary (100 pts)
โ˜€๏ธ Surface
๐ŸŒŠ Midwater
๐ŸŒ‘ Deep

๐Ÿชฃ Plankton Trawl

Catch and identify as many plankton as you can in 90 seconds! Click on organisms as they drift past. Rare catches are worth more points โ€” but only if you ID them correctly!

What did you catch?

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