meroplankton Definition
organisms that spend only part of their life cycle as plankton before becoming nekton or benthos.
Using meroplankton: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "meroplankton" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
Lobsters are meroplanktonic, spending their early life stages as plankton before settling on the ocean floor.
Example
Many fish species have a meroplanktonic larval stage before they become adults.
Summary: meroplankton in Brief
'Meroplankton' [mer-uh-plangk-tuhn] refers to organisms that spend only part of their life cycle as plankton before becoming nekton or benthos. This term is used to describe the early life stages of many marine animals, such as lobsters and fish, which spend time as meroplankton before settling on the ocean floor or becoming adults.
