COSEE Ocean Systems: News
Plankton network linked to ocean's biological carbon pump revealed
Description: The biological carbon pump is the process by which carbon dioxide is transformed to organic carbon via photosynthesis, exported from the surface ocean as sinking particles and finally sequestered in the deep sea. While the intensity of the pump is directly correlated to the abundance of certain plankton species-free-floating micro-organisms-the underlying ecosystem structure driving the process has remained poorly understood. By analyzing samples collected by the Tara Oceans expedition (2009-2013), an interdisciplinary research team has shed new light on these microbes, their interactions and the main functions associated with the biological pump in nutrient-poor ocean regions-areas which represent more than 70 percent of the surface ocean. [Source: University of Hawaii]
URL: http://www.hawaii.edu/news/2016/02/24/plankton-network-linked-to-oceans-biological-carbon-pump-revealed/
Availability: Full Text
Source: University of Hawaii
Publish Date: 2/24/2016
Reading Level: Basic
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