1. plural of phytoplankter; microscopic photosynthetic organisms (algae and cyanobacteria) that drift in water and form the base of aquatic food chains
Usage: technical/scientific; usually used in plural form; also called phytoplankton (collective noun)

Examples

• Phytoplankters are essential to ocean ecosystems because they produce oxygen and serve as food for zooplankton.
• The bloom of phytoplankters turned the water green during the warm summer months.
• Scientists study phytoplankters to understand how carbon dioxide is absorbed in marine environments.
• Phytoplankters require sunlight and nutrients to grow and reproduce in aquatic systems.
• The population of phytoplankters fluctuates with seasonal changes in water temperature and nutrient availability.