The term ‘plankton’ describes an incredibly varied community of marine organisms, ranging from jellyfish a metre or more in length down to single-celled organisms that can be detected only under the microscope. In this beautifully illustrated article, Julian Cremona explores the diversity of planktonic organisms around Milford Haven, in South Wales, and explains why monitoring plankton is vital to detecting change in ocean systems.
Looking from the shore to the shimmering sea, few people contemplate what is living beneath the blue surface. Yet the life in seawater lapping the shore can be incredibly biodiverse. The jellyfish are easily noticed, but as I pull my net through the water’s edge people swim up to me and ask what I am doing, as the seawater looks clear to them.