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How to Make a Model of Phytoplankton

You may not be able to see phytoplankton with your unaided eye, but these microscopic organisms are an important part of the environment and food chain. Most types of phytoplankton are single-celled plants and bacteria. These plants float in water and use chlorophyll to create energy from sunlight. Phytoplankton can grow in a massive population in the ocean that can be visible by satellite imagery. Make a model of phytoplankton by using buoyant materials that will float like these single-celled organisms.

Things You'll Need

Foam plate
Scissors
Plastic straws
Paint
Food coloring
Plastic bag
Vegetable oil

Instructions

- 1
  Search for an image of a specific type of phytoplankton in books or on the Internet. Common types of phytoplankton include diatoms dinoflagellates and cyanobacteria. Find a phytoplankton with a simple body structure that will be easy to recreate in your model.
- 2
  Cut your foam plate into the shape of the reference image. Simple phytoplankton models can be made by keeping the foam plate intact and then painting on details.
- 3
  Paint the foam plate using a non-water-soluble paint. Match the color of the phytoplankton to the color of the reference image you are using. Allow the paint to dry.
- 4
  Fill a plastic bag with vegetable oil. Add four to five drops of food coloring the same color as the phytoplankton in your reference image. Mix this all together and seal the bag.
- 5
  Insert thin plastic straws or coffee stirrers into the edges of your foam plate to represent flagella, if your phytoplankton uses flagella for motion.
- 6
  Place the foam plate in a bucket of water and set the bag of oil on top of it. The oil will mimic the gelatinous texture of the single-celled phytoplankton, while the lightness of both of the materials will allow it to float like the organism it represents.

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