Beakers in Lab (IMAGE)

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Beakers in Lab

Caption

Finding the right laboratory conditions to culture phytoplankton can be challenging. Phytoplankton are mostly microscopic, single-celled photosynthetic organisms that live suspended in water. Like land plants, they take up carbon dioxide, make carbohydrates using light energy, and release oxygen. They are what is known as primary producers of the ocean -- the organisms that form the base of the food chain.

Credit

Photo by Tracy Mincer, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

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