Tiny microorganisms in the Southern Ocean affect the way the rest of the world’s seas respond to carbon dioxide.
plankton
Posted inResearch Spotlights
The Role of Midsized Phytoplankton in Earth’s Biological Pump
New research finds that nanoplankton may have a larger influence on carbon cycling than previously thought.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Most of the Arctic’s Microscopic Algae Are Chilling Under Ice
New research reveals that tiny single-celled organisms in the Arctic Ocean are growing more numerous as climate change thins the ice.
Posted inNews
Emerging Technologies Help Scientists Tune In to Krill
Acoustic tools identify the population of “the most important fishery in the Southern Ocean.”
Posted inNews
How Machine Learning Redraws the Map of Ocean Ecosystems
Using an unsupervised learning algorithm, scientists can create new maps of ecosystem provinces in the ocean, opening the possibility of sharper data collection and monitoring.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Arctic Plankton Populations Vary by Season
Planktonic foraminifera and sea snail numbers swell from April to June in the Barents Sea, but contrary to predictions, the organisms do not appear to be affected directly by high methane levels.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
New Recognition for Major Players in the Ocean’s Silicon Cycle
Tiny, shelled protists known as Rhizaria may be responsible for up to one fifth of the total amount of silica produced by the world’s oceanic organisms.
Posted inNews
Could Wildfire Ash Feed the Ocean’s Tiniest Life-Forms?
Ash falling on the ocean after a wildfire could fuel plankton growth.
Posted inNews
Plankton Biodiversity Mapped Globally
A team of scientists sailed around the world to catalog the diversity of plankton species in the ocean. Their findings have important economic implications as climate warms.
Posted inNews
Artificial Intelligence Can Spot Plankton from Space
Training an algorithm with satellite images of ocean color reveals the blooms and busts of phytoplankton communities.