Nutrient uptake plasticity in phytoplankton sustains future ocean net primary production.
- Journal:
- Science Advances
- Published:
- DOI:
- 10.1126/sciadv.add2475
- Affiliations:
- 5
- Authors:
- 7
Research Highlight
Algae could sink more carbon as oceans warm
© Science Photo Library - STEVE GSCHMEISSNER/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
Sunlight-harnessing marine algae known as phytoplankton could be less affected by warming oceans than previously feared thanks to their ability of to adapt to low-nutrient conditions.
Every year, phytoplankton in the world’s oceans convert about 50 billion tons of carbon — roughly 1.3 times the amount that humanity pumps into the atmosphere — into biological material, of which about 10% drops into the ocean depths. This represents a critical carbon sink.
Some studies have predicted that warming oceans will curtail this sequestration of carbon as phytoplankton become less productive due to fewer nutrients in surface waters.
Now, a model created by a team led by researchers from the Institute for Basic Science in South Korea has indicated that the ability of phytoplankton to adapt to low-nutrient conditions could actually boost their productivity.
This result, which was backed up by observational data, suggests that phytoplankton will take more carbon out of circulation as the oceans warm.
References
- Science Advances 51, eadd2475 (2022). doi: 10.1126/sciadv.add2475