Marine Plants
| Diatoms |
Dinoflagellates |
| Diatoms are the most common kind of phytoplankton. Each individual diatom has a single cell inside two glass shells. The two shells are shaped so that one shell fits over the other like the lid on a container. The glass shells are full of small holes that let materials pass in and out. These holes are arranged in intricate lines and patterns. | Dinoflagellates are a type of phytoplankton that can usually move about. A dinoflagellate has two whip-like attachments called flagella. One is stretched out like a tail, and the other is wrapped around its middle. To move about, a dinoflagellate wriggles its flagella. When both flagella move together, the dinoflagellate spins or whirls forward. Dinoflagellate means "whirling whip". |
| Zooxanthellae |
Coccolithophores |