Previous research suggested that the intrusion of low-nutrient Gulf Stream water into the Mid-Atlantic Bight would reduce productivity, but a new study finds that it can also lead to chlorophyll hot spots.
plankton
Species of Feces Help Phytoplankton Feed Itself
The unicellular plants more readily take up iron in the presence of salp feces than in krill feces, an experiment in Antarctica reveals.
First Worldwide View of a Key Phytoplankton Proxy
New insights into the dynamics of ocean features known as deep chlorophyll maxima set the stage for better understanding of their role in carbon cycling.
Emerging Technologies Help Scientists Tune In to Krill
Acoustic tools identify the population of “the most important fishery in the Southern Ocean.”
Arctic Plankton Populations Vary by Season
Planktonic foraminifera and sea snail numbers swell from April to June in the Barents Sea, but contrary to predictions, the organisms do not appear to be affected directly by high methane levels.
New Recognition for Major Players in the Ocean’s Silicon Cycle
Tiny, shelled protists known as Rhizaria may be responsible for up to one fifth of the total amount of silica produced by the world’s oceanic organisms.
Could Wildfire Ash Feed the Ocean’s Tiniest Life-Forms?
Ash falling on the ocean after a wildfire could fuel plankton growth.
Sustainable Observations of Plankton, the Sea’s Food Foundation
Workshop on Developing an Implementation Plan for a Sustained, Multidisciplinary Global Observing System of Plankton Communities; Santa Cruz, California, 25–27 June 2018
Glacial Meltwater Plumes Support Greenland Phytoplankton Blooms
Field measurements from the Bowdoin Glacier show that entrainment of deep water into upwelling glacial discharge delivers crucial nutrients to the surface of the surrounding fjord.
The Tiny Organisms That Transport Silica Across Earth’s Oceans
Phaeodarians play a major role in marine nutrient cycle.
