Organisms at the base of the aquatic food web may be hidden from sight, but they are just as sensitive to climate change as other plant and animal life, according to a study published in Scientific Reports.
Organisms at the base of the aquatic food web may be hidden from sight, but they are just as sensitive to climate change as other plant and animal life, according to a study published in Scientific Reports.
“Climate change causes food quality to deteriorate at the lowest level of the food web,” says Pianpian Wu, a postdoctoral fellow at Dartmouth and lead author of the study. “That spells trouble for the entire food chain from phytoplankton to humans.”
The study looked at two effects of climate change on water that researchers expect to increase in coming years: warming and “browning,” the discoloration caused by high loads of dissolved organic matter.
According to the study, a combination of warmer, browner water results in greater transfer of toxic methylmercury from water to phytoplankton. The research also documented lower concentrations of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids in the organisms.
“The reduction of polyunsaturated acids is concerning,” says Wu, who began the research as a PhD candidate at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
Read more at: Dartmouth College
Celia Chen, left, research professor of biological sciences, and Pianpian Wu, postdoctoral researcher. (Photo Credit: Eli Burakian ’00)
