Global phytoplankton decline over the past century
The two main objectives of the research were to examine global trends in phytoplankton over time and to determine what might be driving these trends. Preliminary conclusions suggest that rising ocean temperatures are the leading cause of the decline. “As the water temperature rises, the ocean becomes more stable which limits the nutrients present in the water. This in turn limits the amount of phytoplankton,” explains Mr. Boyce.
Based on the research collected, phytoplankton levels have decreased in eight out of 10 ocean regions.
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Article
Nature 466, 591-596 (29 July 2010) | doi:10.1038/nature09268; Received 21 January 2010; Accepted 9 June 2010
Global phytoplankton decline over the past century
Daniel G. Boyce, Marlon R. Lewis & Boris Worm
Tags: atlantic ocean, Biodiversity, Circum-Arctic Resources, Climate change, co2, Food, Global Warming, Oceans, pacific ocean
