← Back to Labs

🦠 Plankton Bloom Dynamics

Phytoplankton & zooplankton populations — Lotka-Volterra model

6
5
4
Phyto: 500
Zoo: 100
O₂ Output: High
Phase: Growing

Click water to add nutrient pulse · Hover organisms for info

Plankton Dynamics

Phytoplankton (green) photosynthesize — they need sunlight + nutrients and produce ~50% of Earth's oxygen. Zooplankton (blue) graze on phytoplankton. Their populations follow Lotka-Volterra predator-prey cycles: phyto bloom → zoo increase → phyto crash → zoo crash → repeat. Excess nutrients (eutrophication) cause harmful algal blooms.