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The appearance of white blooms of plankton east of New Zealand suggests the ocean is responding to climate change. A new study investigated coccolithophores, a white algae with remains known as coccoliths. Under favourable, warm conditions, these algae grow rapidly and turn the ocean's surface milky white-a natural phenomenon known as a 'bloom'. Satellite and ship-based observations show coccolith blooms are moving south as the ocean warms and becomes less turbulent, similar to the way it did around 130,000 years ago when the last major warm period occurred. [Source: Physorg.com]
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