Radioplankton
Radioplankton are tiny, free-floating, carbon-based algae that inhabit sub-categories of Gas Giant planets called Gas Giants with Water-based Life and Gas Giants with Ammonia-based Life. Unlike some other alien species, radioplankton cannot be directly observed, and are only known to exist through the text descriptions on System Maps.
There exists a rare variety of free-floating radioplankton that can fluoresce as a result of interacting with the intense radiation of gas giants and glow bright green, causing the parent gas giant to become a Green Gas Giant.
Description
Gas giant with water-based life. This is primarily a hydrogen and helium based atmospheric gas giant, but not far below the surface exists life based in the water-cloud layer just below the atmospheric surface. The chemistry of this gaseous region is far from equilibrium, with a surprising excess of oxygen and many carbon-based compounds giving it some vivid colors. As with many such gaseous living systems, it is underpinned by vast quantities of free-floating radioplankton - tiny carbon-based algae, each retaining a small quantity of liquid water, extracting their energy from intense radiation flux.[1]
Locations
Some Gas Giants with Water-based Life that support radioplankton are listed below.
| System | Planet |
|---|---|
| Col 173 Sector FO-G b27-8 | 1 |
| LHS 3447 | B 2 |
| Wregoe CY-Y b44-0 | 3 |
| Wregoe YR-A b44-0 | 1 |
| Wregoe LI-O c21-1 | 2 |
| Wregoe RO-I d10-0 | B 1 |
| Wregoe RY-H b40-0 | 2, 3 |
| Col 173 Sector YD-I b13-5 | 2 |
| Shinrarta Dezhra | AB 1 |