Phytoplankton aid in greenhouse gas control
Ceratium hiundinella is an example of a dinoflagellate, a type of phytoplankton. (courtesy Dr. Ralf Wagner, GNU FDL)
Phytoplankton – tiny, single-celled creatures near the surface of warm ocean waters – play an important role in global climate.
That’s according to scientist Wendy Wang at the University of Maryland. She told us that phytoplankton absorb carbon dioxide, a primary contributor to global warming. As the phytoplankton flourish, carbon dioxide in surface waters of the ocean decreases.
Also, when phytoplankton die and sink to the ocean bottom, some of the carbon dioxide they’ve consumed goes with them. This process transports carbon dioxide from the air to the deep ocean. So, Wang said, you can see that it’s important to keep Earth’s phytoplankton healthy.
Phytoplankton are vulnerable to changes in ocean circulation caused by the occasional La Niñas and El Niños. Using NASA satellite data, Wang discovered that La Niña increases the upwelling of nutrients from the ocean floor and allows phytoplankton to flourish. El Niño, on the other hand, does the opposite.
There’s nothing we can do about the El Niño. But this understanding of what affects the phytoplankton should help us learn in other ways to insure their health – for example, by keeping them safe from pollution in the years ahead. Today’s show is made possible by NASA: explore, discover, understand.
Our thanks to:
Dr. Wendy Wang
University of Maryland
