Phytoplankton, which are responsible for half of the world's primary production and are the basis of all marine ecosystems, have been declining for more than 100 years, perhaps the result of rising sea temperatures, according to a study published in this week's Nature -- a cause for concern about the health of the Earth's oceans.
"It is troubling," said marine scientist David
Siegel of the University of California, Santa Barbara, who was not
involved in the research. With data dating back to the late 1800s, "this
paper finds a long-term trend that's huge," he said. "The phytoplankton
community has undoubtedly been changing."
Phytoplankton productivity lies at the base of the marine food
web, supporting all ocean life and contributing to global geochemical
processes, including the carbon cycle. Through photosynthetic
activities, phytoplankton reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide. Satellite
data from the last few decades has suggested that phytoplankton might be
on the decline.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Ocean life support dwindling - The Scientist - Magazine of the Life Sciences
Author: Jef Akst
