How Plankton Affect the Climate

More from NASA about the newly published findings that warming oceans have slowed the growth of phytoplankton, the microscopic plants that form the basis of the oceanic food chain. This is because warmer oceans do not mix well, resulting in poor nutrient levels at the surface. The surprising thing here is the extent to which phytoplankton help regulate climate by sequestering carbon. Every day, according to this NASA release, more than 100 million tons of carbon dioxide are drawn out the atmosphere by the billions of photosynthesizing plankton, which, when they die and sink, effectively store the carbon in the ocean depths. Thus, if warming reduces ocean productivity, it would not only have a profound effect on marine life but would also contribute to rising global temperatures by increasing atmospheric carbon.