see all translations uk jiËld us jiËld c2 t to supply or produce something positive such as a profit an amount of food or information an attempt to yield increased profits the investigation yielded some unexpected results favourable weather yielded a good crop
Phytoplankton are microscopic marine plants. P hytoplankton, also known as microalgae, are similar to land-based plants in that they contain chlorophyll and require sunlight in order to live and grow. Most phytoplankton are buoyant and float in the upper part of the ocean, where sunlight penetrates the water. Phytoplankton also require inorganic nutrients such as nitrates, phosphates, and sulfur which they convert into proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.
The food web. Phytoplankton are the foundation of the aquatic food web, the primary producers, feeding everything from microscopic, animal-like zooplankton to multi-ton whales.Small fish and invertebrates also graze on the plant-like organisms, and then those smaller animals are eaten by bigger ones.Photograph Â©2009 qnr-away for a while. ). Phytoplankton cause mass mortality in other ways. In the aftermath of a massive bloom, dead phytoplankton sink to the ocean or lake floor. The bacteria that decompose the phytoplankton deplete the oxygen in the water, suffocating animal life; the result is a dead zone.