All plankton articles
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NewsTiny ocean organisms missing from climate models may hold the key to Earth’s carbon future
The ocean’s smallest engineers, calcifying plankton, quietly regulate the Earth’s thermostat by capturing and cycling carbon. However, a new review finds that these organisms are oversimplified in the climate models used to predict our planet’s future.
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NewsAncient plankton hint at steadier future for ocean life
A team of scientists has uncovered a rare isotope in microscopic fossils, offering fresh evidence that ocean ecosystems may be more resilient than once feared. They analyzed nitrogen isotopes preserved in the shells of tiny plankton called foraminifera.
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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.