In an ecosystem, phytoplankton is _____.

Question:- In an ecosystem, phytoplankton is _____.

Answer: The correct answer is “a producer.”

They are known as phytoplankton and are minute marine organisms with the ability to conduct photosynthesis. They are in the epipelagic zone of the oceans, seas, and freshwater bodies that have light penetration. Phytoplankton perform photosynthesis; which is the ability of a cell to convert sunlight, and carbon dioxide in the water into organic compounds using nutrients from the water. These organic compounds are depleted and thus act as the basic source of energy and food for other organisms in the aquatic food chain. They form the most fundamental unit of the marine food web and thus are very important in maintaining life in aquatic ecosystems. They are thus regarded as a primary producer because they are the only organisms that carry out a synthesis of organic matter from inorganic compounds, which in turn is the basis of food and cellular energy for a wide variety of organisms ranging from the smallest zooplankton to the large marine animals.