Tiny Ocean Organisms Help Regulate Earth's Temperature

Topic: Research News

Scientists found that tiny ocean creatures called calcifying plankton are missing from climate models. These organisms help regulate Earth's temperature by capturing carbon and moving it through the ocean.

Calcifying plankton are microscopic organisms that form hard shells. They play a crucial role in regulating Earth's temperature by capturing carbon and moving it through the ocean. A recent study found that these organisms are not fully represented in climate models used to predict Earth's future. The research was led by an international team from the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB) (Spain). The study focuses on three major groups of calcifying plankton: coccolithophores, foraminifers, and pteropods.

When climate models leave out calcifying plankton, they may miss key steps in the global carbon cycle. These organisms build tiny shells made of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), a substance that plays a central role in ocean chemistry. As plankton grow and die, they help move carbon from the atmosphere into deeper layers of the ocean. This process, known as the ocean carbon pump, helps stabilize Earth's climate over long periods of time.

The researchers point out that much of the calcium carbonate produced by plankton does not sink all the way to the ocean floor. Instead, a significant portion dissolves in the upper ocean, a process known as

Implications

Scientists found that tiny ocean creatures called calcifying plankton are missing from climate models. These organisms help regulate Earth's temperature by capturing carbon and moving it through the ocean.