What is phytoplankton and where do you find it?

Phytoplankton or marine phytoplankton is counted among the superfoods. Not surprising if you know what nutrients this healthy plankton contains! We would like to tell you more about marine phytoplankton.

What is phytoplankton?

Phytoplankton is a saltwater algae. So the counterpart of chlorella and spirulina which live in fresh water. Did you know that this alga has been on Earth for more than 3 trillion years and is the basis of the food chain for all marine life? Without phytoplankton, no fish could live in the sea. Phytoplankton is eaten by small crustaceans and mussels, among others, which in turn are eaten by fish. 

Phytoplankton also has a high nutritional value. It promotes good acidity in your body and provides energy. The powerful micro-algae is rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It is a great source of natural sulfur and possesses essential nutrients such as protein and omega 3 fatty acids. 

What plants fall under phytoplankton?

Phytoplankton is a collective term for free-floating, microscopic organisms/plants that contain chlorophyll and do not move against the current. It is the plant part of plankton. In seawater, these are mainly algae and algae. The animal part is called zooplankton. One liter of seawater contains between 100,000 and 100 million strains of phytoplankton. The more phytoplankton in the water, the greener the water colors; the less phytoplankton, the bluer the water is.

Like the algae that form the basis for the algae oil from Arctic Blue, all marine phytoplankton can be grown under GMP-controlled, pure conditions in special basins. As a result, there is no chance of contamination from the ocean. In addition, the phytoplankton is independently tested for the presence of contaminants, such as yeasts and heavy metals, to ensure the best quality. No pesticides are used and only pure natural water.

But the existence of marine phytoplankton is at risk. Climate change is slowly making the seas warmer and warmer, and ocean acidification is making them more acidic. Phytoplankton are very sensitive to acidification and warming. If the phytoplankton disappear, so do the animals that eat from it. And if these animals disappear, how will we get our essential omega 3? And sufficient oxygen? Fortunately, Rijkswaterstaat keeps a close eye on the amount of phytoplankton, as an indicator of water quality.

Phytoplankton and CO2

Marine phytoplankton produce more oxygen than all the Earth's forests combined: up to 70% of all the Earth's oxygen per year! Phytoplankton, like a land plant, engages in photosynthesis which produces oxygen. This is why phytoplankton live close to the water surface, to catch enough sunlight. Without (sun)light no phytoplankton and therefore no CO2.

What does phytoplankton eat?

In particular, filter feeders (marine feathers, sponges and shellfish such as baptismal shells) and soft corals specialize in eating phytoplankton directly. Some soft corals are equipped with pinnula, small protrusions shaped like a feather. This allows even the very fine phytoplankton to be effortlessly filtered out of the water. Zooplankton also eat phytoplankton and, for example, seahorses and anemone fish again eat zooplankton. The smaller fish and bottom animals are again on the menu of marine mammals, seabirds and larger fish.

Algae and phytoplankton

Algae suspended in the water, phytoplankton, are the source of the omega 3 in fish. For all animals and plants in the sea, carbohydrates, fats and proteins are necessary nutrients. Animals, like humans, cannot produce these substances themselves, but depend on what they eat to do so. Plants, however, can produce these substances. By eating phytoplankton, these animals provide themselves with the necessary nutrients. 

The same is true for humans. Omega 3 fatty acids are also essential for humans, but we cannot produce them ourselves. We must also make sure that we eat foods that contain omega 3. For this we are grateful to the fish that eat plankton. From these fish we make clean fish oil that provides us with enough omega 3. Algae oil is also a good alternative to get enough omega 3. 

Order online from Arctic Blue

Order your favorite products in Arctic Blue's webshop and enjoy the many benefits that algae offer us. You can order individual products from Arctic Blue or take out a convenient subscription. You will automatically receive your desired products with omega 3. You can close your subscription online and (after the minimum number of deliveries) always easily cancel by e-mail. Do you have any questions about our products? Are you curious about what we at Arctic Blue think is important and how we care about the ocean? Then read one of our other blog articles!