햇빛을 이용하여 광합성을 하며 수중 생태계의 기초가 되는 아주 작은 부유 식물이나 조류.
Microscopic marine plants and algae that drift in the upper layers of oceans and bodies of freshwater, serving as the base of the aquatic food web.
예문:
"Phytoplankton produce about half of the world's oxygen through photosynthesis."
"A massive phytoplankton bloom was visible from space as a swirl of green in the ocean."
"Changes in water temperature can significantly impact the population of phytoplankton."