phytoplanktern.
/ˈfʌɪtəʊˌplaŋ(k)tə/, U.S. /ˈfaɪdoʊˌplæŋktər/ Biology.
An individual or species of the phytoplankton; a planktonic plant.
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the world > life > biology > organism > plankton > [noun]
plankton1889
macroplankton1903
phytoplankter1937
1937 Ecol. Monogr. 7 463 Later in the summer of 1933, when zooplankters were dominant, they appeared in greater numbers in the vegetation mat than did phytoplankters.
1960 N. Polunin Introd. Plant Geogr. xvi. 517 The rate of sinking of a body heavier than water, as most phytoplankters (phytoplanktonic individuals) are, depends upon the ratio of surplus weight to friction.
1976 Nature 17 June 584/1 Gonyaulax, a marine phytoplankter, is normally grown in a medium of approximately 500 mM salt.
1991 Sea Frontiers Feb. 18 (caption) Laser beams cause their pigments to fluoresce, allowing scientists to check up on the productivity of phytoplankters.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1937