Key Biological Mechanism is Disrupted by Ocean Acidification
Assorted diatoms -one of the most common types of phytoplankton- living between crystals of annual sea ice in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. Image digitized from original 35mm Ektachrome slide. Photo source: NSF Polar Programs / NOAA
Excerpts;
Inability of phytoplankton to acquire iron imperils marine ecosystems.
A team led by scientists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego and the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) has demonstrated that the excess carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere through the combustion of fossil fuels interferes with the health of phytoplankton which form the base of marine food webs…
Phytoplankton are microscopic plants whose growth in ocean surface waters supports ocean food webs and global marine fisheries. They are also key agents in the long-term removal of carbon dioxide (CO2)…
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