Bloom or bust: plankton give clues to climate change

[Guest guest]

Bloom or bust: plankton give clues to climate change

 

 

Remote ‘marine deserts’ and dense plankton blooms could provide scientists with

clues for understanding climate change.

A research team will set sail from Southampton, Friday, 17th September 2004, for

the start of an expedition to study the interaction between the atmosphere and

plankton – tiny floating marine organisms. By monitoring these organisms and the

influence of changing climate on their growth, they hope to discover whether

they act as a source of carbon dioxide, or a ‘sink’ in which the carbon is

contained.

 

Dr Andy Rees, Principal Scientist on the ship said ‘The ship will pass close to

the coast of Africa, where we hope to find large numbers of plankton, called

blooms. These blooms may be due to nutrient rich water rising to the surface or

to dust, laden with nutrients, blown across from the Sahara providing food for

the plankton. These areas act as natural chimneys of gases which contribute to

global warming. We will have the opportunity to sample some hugely contrasting

environments because of the meeting of waters from the northern and southern

hemispheres. We will compare this area with barren desert regions of the

Atlantic where there are very small numbers of plankton.’

 

Whilst the ship is at sea, the scientists will also be receiving satellite

pictures showing the colour of the ocean from space, which will help them to

locate the plankton blooms. Dr Barney Balch, a US scientist funded by NASA, will

also be collecting data to improve interpretation of these satellite pictures in

order to understand the distribution of certain types of plankton which have a

significant impact on atmospheric chemistry.

 

The expedition, aboard the RRS Discovery, is part of the Atlantic Meridional

Transect Programme (AMT), a £2.3 million project funded by the Natural

Environment Research Council. This annual expedition from Southampton to Cape

Town will provide a unique ten year data set which will aid scientists in their

studies of long-term impacts of climate change.

More information:www.pml.ac.ukwww.amt-uk.org/

 

 

Sonya PLoS Medicine

The open-access general medical journal from the Public Library of Science

Inaugural issue: Autumn 2004 Share your discoveries with the world.

http://www.plosmedicine.org

 

 

http://pets.care2.com/

 

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com

 

" It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in argument. " -- William G. McAdoo

" Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy. Providing

health care to all Americans is socialism. " -- anon