Phytoplankton are microscopic, photosynthetic organisms inhabiting the sunlit (euphotic) layers of aquatic ecosystems, forming the base of most marine and freshwater food webs. Predominantly composed of cyanobacteria, diatoms, dinoflagellates, coccolithophores, and green algae, they fix inorganic carbon via oxygenic photosynthesis, driving primary production and biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, silicon, and trace metals. Their biomass and productivity are tightly regulated by light availability, nutrient concentrations, temperature, and hydrodynamic mixing. Phytoplankton dynamics underpin global carbon export to the deep ocean via the biological pump and strongly influence atmospheric COâ‚‚ levels and climate feedbacks.
The interactions between microscopic algal cells and bacteria in the oceans play a pivotal role in the global carbon cycle. Researchers at ETH Zurich have now taken an important step toward deciphering the chemical language ...
Environment
Jul 14, 2026
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Climate change is not only warming our lakes and rivers, it is also changing what invasive species eat. A new experimental study published in Limnology and Oceanography Letters shows that temperature-driven diet shifts in ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 30, 2026
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Microscopic plankton are among the most important organisms on Earth. Phytoplankton produce around half of the oxygen we breathe, while plankton as a whole underpin marine food webs, support fisheries, help regulate carbon ...
Environment
Jun 29, 2026
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For nearly 50 years, scientists have suspected that microscopic marine plankton play a role in cloud formation over the oceans. Now, an experiment led by the University of Helsinki suggests that it may be more important than ...
Earth Sciences
Jun 25, 2026
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The Black Sea sits at the boundary between Europe and Asia and connects to the Mediterranean Sea via a chain of waterways. Its surface often appears dark, but each spring and summer it transforms into a striking expanse of ...
Environment
Jun 25, 2026
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A new study combining NASA satellite observations, ocean surveys and genetic testing of marine microorganisms found evidence that warming ocean waters may be limiting nutrient availability across much of the global ocean. ...
Earth Sciences
Jun 8, 2026
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The ocean is full of invisible workers. Trillions of microbes quietly break down carbon-containing organic matter, which helps to regulate Earth's climate. But scientists have long struggled to understand how different microbes ...
Ecology
Jun 1, 2026
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Marine microplastics affect algae's ability to grow and photosynthesize. Researchers have now calculated what impact this has on the greenhouse effect and the ocean's ability to absorb carbon dioxide.
Environment
May 24, 2026
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As primary producers at the base of marine food webs, diatoms are key indicators of environmental change, providing critical insight into the health and resilience of the Salish Sea bioregion. A team of Canadian scientists ...
Ecology
May 19, 2026
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A new approach to better assessing whale population data has emerged, led by a research team of marine biologists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and statisticians from Cal Poly. Scientists typically ...
Plants & Animals
May 14, 2026
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