Se denomina plancton (del griego πλαγκτός [plagktós], ‘errantes’) al conjunto de organismos, principalmente microscópicos, que flotan en aguas saladas o dulces, más abundantes hasta los 200 metros de profundidad, aproximadamente. Se distingue del necton, palabra que denomina a todos los nadadores activos y del neuston, los que viven en la interfase o límite con el aire, es decir, en la superficie. Plancton (organismos que viven en suspensión en el agua), bentos (del fondo de ecosistemas acuáticos) y edafón (de la comunidad que habita los suelos).

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Plankton (singular plankter) are a diverse group of organisms that live in the water column of large bodies of water and that cannot swim against a current. They provide a crucial source of food to many large aquatic organisms, such as fish and whales. These organisms include drifting or floating bacteria, archaea, algae, protozoa and animals that inhabit, for example, the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. Essentially, plankton are defined by their ecological niche rather than any phylogenetic or taxonomic classification. Though many planktonic species are microscopic in size, plankton includes organisms covering a wide range of sizes, including large organisms such as jellyfish.

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