Microscopic yet crucial: zooplankton and phytoplankton form the foundation of marine life, supporting the entire food chain.
Zooplankton includes, among other, the early life stages of many fish, marking the beginning of their life in the sea.
They play a crucial role in the carbon cycle, absorbing large amounts of CO₂.

They are threatened by plastic and microplastic pollution, as well as by climate change.
At Archipelagos’ Marine Systems Monitoring Laboratory, we study zooplankton in the Aegean Sea, recording changes and the presence of microplastics in coastal waters and the open sea, through sampling from vessels and kayaks.
In just 1 cubic meter of seawater, there can be hundreds or thousands of zooplankton organisms and millions of phytoplankton cells – an invisible world that forms the foundation of life in the sea.