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 CO₂ levels and climate feedbacks.
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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10
Researchers in the UK have shown how the distributions of two phytoplankton groups—known to produce natural toxins that can halt shellfish harvesting—have changed in the North East Atlantic over the last six decades.
Ecology
May 14, 2026
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In the vast plume of the Amazon River, microscopic algae adopt a surprisingly flexible survival strategy: They combine photosynthesis with the uptake of organic matter. An international research team led by the Leibniz Institute ...
Ecology
Apr 23, 2026
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Oceanographers from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa discovered that microbial communities—from the sunlit surface to extreme depths—in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre exhibit robust seasonal cycles. The study provides ...
Ecology
Apr 20, 2026
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5
A "perfect storm" of conditions combining upwelling from the deep with run off from the land may be driving crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) outbreaks on the Great Barrier Reef. In new research from the Australian Institute ...
Ecology
Apr 15, 2026
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9
Plankton are tiny, microscopic marine organisms that represent the very bottom of the food chain. Some are photosynthetic and others graze on bacteria and other plankton, but no plankton species can move against ocean currents.
Ecology
Apr 13, 2026
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10
As climate change intensifies harmful algal blooms worldwide, an international team led by Hiroshima University has developed a hybrid modeling approach that combines algal movement simulations, AI, and long-term monitoring ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 9, 2026
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