Johns Hopkins University researchers have expressed concern after finding a major increase in the world’s population of plankton, citing rising carbon dioxide levels as a potential cause.
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Tag Archives: Biological oceanography
Plankton poo clue could aid climate predictions
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND, UK (REUTERS) – Marine scientists call it the ocean’s ‘twilight zone’, where only a small amount of sunlight can penetrate.
But it’s the ocean life here – between 100 and 1000 metres deep – that scientists say is crucial for keeping atmospheric carbon-dioxide (CO2) levels 30 percent lower than it otherwise would be.
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Four years of study shows plankton is more than just whale food
Scientists from the Tara Ocean expedition unveil the most comprehensive analysis ever undertaken of the world’s ocean plankton, the tiny organisms that serve as food for marine creatures such as the blue whale, but also provide half the oxygen we breathe.