An “invisible forest” of phytoplankton is thriving in part of our warming ocean, new research shows.
An “invisible forest” of phytoplankton is thriving in part of our warming ocean, new research shows.
Phytoplankton are tiny drifting organisms that do about half of the planet’s “primary production” (forming living cells by photosynthesis).
The new study, by the University of Exeter, examined phytoplankton at the ocean surface and the “subsurface” – a distinct layer of water beneath – to see how climate variability is affecting them.
Published in the journal Nature Climate Change, the findings show these two communities are reacting differently.
Read more at University of Exeter
Image: CTD rosette – a device equipped with sensors and bottles to collect water samples and measure different properties of the ocean at various depths (Credit: Dr. Xuerong Sun)
