How does algae differ from phytoplankton?

As algae can be single-celled, filamentous (string-like) or plant-like, they are often difficult to classify. Most organizations group algae by their primary color (green, red, or brown), though this creates more problems than it solves 4. read more

Algae doesn’t differ from phytoplankton. All algae is phytoplankton. But not all phytoplankton are algae. Phytoplankton are free floating, photosynthetic microorganisms found in lakes, streams, oceans. They include algae, cyanobacteria, protists, diatoms. Phytoplankton forms the base of the marine food chain. read more

The various species of algae are vastly different from each other, not only in pigmentation, but in cellular structure, complexity, and chosen environment 4,5. As such, algal taxonomy is still under debate, with some organizations classifying algae under different kingdoms, including Plantae, Protozoa and Chromista 4,6,8,9. read more

The most significant difference between zooplankton and phytoplankton is that zooplankton are protozoans and animals, whereas phytoplankton are photosynthetic organisms, including algae (protists), blue-green algae or cyanobacteria (bacteria), and organisms such as dinoflagellates, which do not fit neatly into a single group. read more