Planktology

Planktology is a branch of oceanography and describes the science and teaching about organisms that float in the sea and fresh water. These are referred to as plankton.

The planktology also deals with issues such as primary production, predator-prey relationships and energy flows. Especially the carbon budget has become a current field in recent years.

Plankton is the engine of the "biological pump ", a process that is transported in the carbon through the bodies of organisms in the deep sea. Such processes are important in view of the discussions on the carbon sink, a great hope for the future that some of the carbon that is currently being accumulated in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide could be stored in the ocean by organisms. Due to man-made combustion of fossil fuels, there is accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and thereby ultimately to a global warming.

Planktology includes now also increasingly behavioral aspects of " driving life," and develops modern in situ image systems, such as. Within the LEO project, with some projects even allow the direct participation of the people online

In recent years planktologists are increasingly faced with the designated " plastic plankton " remnants of civilization wastes that are partially mitgefressen of plankton filter feeders, or be incorporated into even smaller parts of the plankton life essence itself and accumulate through bioaccumulation in the food chain.

Famous planktologists

  • Victor Hensen (1835-1924)
  • Karl Banse (* 1929 in Königsberg )
  • John Krey (1912-1975)
  • Jürgen Lenz
  • God Help Hempel (* 1929)
  • Paul Falkowski (* 1951)
  • Sayed Elsayed
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