Plankton

Science topics & groups

Science group

Biodiversity

Our vision is for the restoration of diverse and productive ecosystems that are maintained and managed sustainably.

Microscopic image of a copepod on a black background

Science group

Plankton support the majority of marine ecosystems and the human communities that depend on these ecosystems. Through primary production, phytoplankton fix carbon to provide food, and generate oxygen, for higher trophic levels. Plankton both affect our climate and are affected by it. Understanding t...

PlanktoSpace
The PlanktoSpace project is an ESA‑supported initiative that aims to transform our ability to monitor ocean life from space by linking satellite observations with detailed measurements of plankton biodiversity.
Phytoplankton biomass and diversity Climate Change Initiative (PHYTO-CCI)
The PHYTO‑CCI (Phytoplankton Biomass and Diversity Climate Change Initiative) project is part of the European Space Agency’s Climate Change Initiative (CCI) and focuses on advancing our understanding of the ocean’s biological carbon cycle using satellite observations.
DEcentrAlised Learning for automated image analysis and biodiversity monitoring (DEAL)
DEAL will create an application that allows owners of biological image data to participate in decentralised, collaborative networks, where they can leverage the data and expertise of all participants to obtain better, higher efficacy classification results for their data.
Coccolithophore controls on ocean alkalinity (CHALKY)
The CHALKY project aims to determine how coccolithophore calcium carbonate production, recycling and export from the surface ocean affects air-sea CO2 fluxes and the ocean’s carbon sink, and how this may change in a warming ocean.
Automated, in situ Plankton Imaging and Classification System (APICS)
The Automated, in situ Plankton Imaging and Classification System (APICS) will radically improve the understanding of how environmental changes are affecting plankton, the microscopic organisms at the foundation of the marine food chain.
Quantifying the contribution of sympagic versus pelagic diatoms to Arctic food webs and biogeochemical fluxes (MOSAiC SYM-PEL)
At the base of the Arctic food web, there are three major primary producers: small flagellates, diatoms living in open water (pelagic) and diatoms growing in sea ice (sympagic). The role of the sea ice diatoms is perceived differently across the research community. For ecologists they are central to...

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Related News

20 July 2026

State of the South-West’s Seas 2025 report highlights warming waters and octopus boom

Marine heatwaves, rising sea temperatures and a boom in Common Octopus populations are among the standout findings in the newly published State of the South-West’s Seas 2025 report. Produced by the South-West Marine Ecosystems (SWME) programme, with key contributions from PML scientists, the annual report provides a comprehensive assessment of the region’s marine environment.