At this station students will learn how to collect plankton, specifically the free-floating microscopic plants and animals commonly found in the Rhode River. Plankton "go with the flow," drifting wherever the currents take them. At this station, students will learn about the two types of plankton: phytoplankton an zooplankton.

Phytoplankton are one-cellular plants and are the beginning of the Chesapeake Bay food web. Just like land plants, they need light, water and carbon dioxide to carry on photosynthesis, giving off oxygen which is used by other aquatic organisms.

Zooplankton are animals such as newly hatched crabs, larvae and invertebrates that float freely with the tides. Some animals are only zooplankton for part of their life cycle, but microzooplankton remain tiny and will never grow beyond this microscopic size.

Plankton are eaten by small fish, jellyfish and filter feeding bivalves, such as oysters, clams and mussels, which in turn are eaten by larger fish and other predators.

Objectives

At this station, students will learn to:

• Describe the Bay food web.
• Explain the difference between phytoplankton and zooplankton.
• Identify different types of plankton

Science standards

Maryland Content Standards
Investigating Plankton Science Indicators:
1.0 Skills & Processes: 1.5.4, 1.5.5, 1.5.11
3.0 Life Science: 3.5.12, 3.5.13
6.0 Environmental Science: 6.5.2, 6.5.3

Virginia Standards of Learning
Investigating Plankton Science Indicators
Scientific Investigation, Reason & Logic: 5.1, 5.6
Living Systems: 4.5
Resources: 4.8