Plankton are small plants, animals, and bacteria that live in open water.
They range in size from microscopic to macroscopic species. Most plankton
are unable to swim and are transported through the open water bodies by the
currents. The two main types of plankton are phytoplankton (plant) and zooplankton
(animal). Plankton are the base of the food web in our lakes and oceans,
making them very important to our ecosystem in Lake Champlain
What do Plankton have to do with me?
Since plankton are highly sensitive to environmental change they are excellent
indicators of water quality and lake conditions. One of the reasons plankton
are being studied in Lake Champlain is to monitor the water quality of the
lake. When there are high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus in the
lake, some plant plankton reproduce rapidly. This is an indication of poor
water quality that could in turn affect other organisms living there as well.
In addition to being health indicators, plankton are also the main food source
for small fishes and other animals in the lake. The larger fish in the lake
then eat the smaller fish- these larger fish are what anglers usually seek.
Thus, the plankton are essential to the aquatic community, both as indicators
of water quality and the number one food source for fish in the lake.