All plankton articles
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NewsScientists to forecast climate tipping points by capturing ocean’s pulse - plankton
A new project is set to revolutionise climate forecasting by focusing on plankton as the “canaries in the coalmine” of ocean health. Next-generation autonomous underwater robots will deliver near real-time observations in the North Atlantic subpolar gyre.
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NewsOceans emit sulfur and cool the climate more than previously thought
Researchers have quantified for the first time the global emissions of a sulfur gas produced by plankton, revealing it cools the climate more than previously thought, especially over the Southern Ocean.
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NewsPlankton balloon to six times their size in newly discovered mode of oceanic travel
Researchers describe a species of bioluminescent phytoplankton, called Pyrocystis noctiluca, that balloons to six times their original size of a few hundred microns, showcasing a unique strategy for long-distance ocean travel.
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NewsHidden trails of marine snow can affect how the ocean stores carbon
A new study reveals never-before seen mucus ‘parachutes’ produced by microscopic marine organisms that significantly slow their sinking, putting the brakes on a process crucial for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
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NewsModel shows how plankton survive in a turbulent world
A researcher studying how particles move in turbulent fluids has created a model including various hydrodynamic factors to study how these particles handle and even utilise turbulence.
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NewsMesocosms allow scientists to study the biodiversity of aquatic organisms
With a new facility funded by the Gips-Schüle Foundation, researchers at the University of Konstanz’s Limnological Institute can now study the development of biodiversity of bodies of water, such as Lake Constance.
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NewsMarine plankton behaviour could predict future marine extinctions, study finds
Marine communities migrated to Antarctica during the Earth’s warmest period in 66 million years long before a mass-extinction event.
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NewsPlankton model bridges the rules of life at individual scale and ecosystem level
Researchers have developed a model that connects microscopic biology to macroscopic ecology, which could deepen our understanding of nature’s laws and create new opportunities in ecosystem management.