In the world’s vast oceans, phytoplankton play an important role in climate control. This microscopic organism absorbs approximately half of the carbon in the ocean, affecting the global carbon balance. One of the ways phytoplankton affects the carbon cycle is called the “carbonate pump,” and coccolithophorid algae play an important role in this process.
Scientists from the Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences and MIPT conducted a study that created a bio-optical model to estimate the concentration of coccolithophores during their intensive growth. During the active reproduction of these algae, the concentration of carbon dioxide in water increases, which is important for understanding changes in the carbon cycle. This research was supported by the Russian Science Foundation.
The ocean, which stores 50 times more carbon than the atmosphere, is an active participant in processes of change. The biological carbon pump performed by phytoplankton plays an important role in carbon uptake, transformation and retention. This process involves not only coccolithophores but also other algae such as diatoms, which influence the climatic and biochemical properties of the ocean.
Coccolithophores, which have unique properties to form calcite shells, are considered key players in the “carbonate pump.” Intense ocean blooms have significant impacts on climate processes, including water albedo and carbon exchange between the ocean and atmosphere. Research shows that accurate measurement of coccolithophore concentrations is important for a better understanding of these processes.
Source: Ferra
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