Which term best describes the collective community of drifting organisms in the ocean, including plants and animals?

• A. Plankton
• B. Nekton
• C. Phytoplankton
• D. Plankton Bloom

Answer: (A)

Plankton is the term for the organisms that drift with the ocean currents, forming the floating community that includes both plants and animals. They are carried by water and cannot swim against the current as a cohesive group, which is why they’re described as drifting. This umbrella category includes phytoplankton, which are the photosynthetic plants, and zooplankton, which are small animals. Nekton, in contrast, are actively swimming organisms like fish and squid that can move independently of currents, so they aren’t part of this drifting community. Phytoplankton alone describe only the plant component, not the entire community. A plankton bloom is simply a rapid increase in plankton numbers, not the group itself. So the best term for the collective drifting community, including plants and animals, is plankton.