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The top predators of the Southern Ocean, far-ranging seabirds, are tied both to the health of the ocean ecosystem and to global climate regulation through a mutual relationship with phytoplankton, according to a new paper. When phytoplankton are eaten by grazing crustaceans called krill, they release a chemical signal that calls in krill-eating birds. At the same time, this chemical signal -- dimethyl sulfide, or DMS -- forms sulfur compounds in the atmosphere that promote cloud formation and help cool the planet. [Source: ScienceDaily]
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