Phytoplankton compose the basis of all life in the world’s oceans. Phytoplankton arguably support all life on this planet as we know it. What will the end result be if phytoplankton numbers plummeted or if they altogether disappeared? Unfortunately we may be closer to the answer to this question than we realize.
A recent study regarding plankton in the world’s oceans is shedding light on the state of these tiny supporters of life. The study, which was recently published in the journal Nature, has found that the levels of phytoplankton across the globe have decreased by forty percent since the 1950s.
The scientists involved used so-called Secchi disks in order to accumulate their data. Secchi disks were named after the scientist Pietro Angelo Secchi who in the 1800s developed the disks. The disks are able to determine the levels of plankton by determining the clarity of the water. Generally, plankton studies in the past have been performed through satellite imagery.
Phytoplankton data dates back to 1899. When compared to this data, the scientists found that plankton began significantly decreasing in the 1950s. Now, in less than 60 years, the level of plankton in the world’s oceans has declined by forty percent. The only ocean currently not exhibiting major declines is the Indian Ocean, which has remained steady. However, major declines have been found in the Arctic and the equatorial areas of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Boris Worm, a scientist at the Dalhousie University in Canada, stated: “It’s concerning because phytoplankton is the basic currency for everything going on in the ocean.” Additional scientist involved in the study and from the same university, Daniel Boyce, stated: “Phytoplankton ultimately affects all of us in our daily lives. Much of the oxygen in our atmosphere today was produced by phytoplankton or phytoplankton precursors over the past 2 billion years.”
The main cause of the decline in phytoplankton appears to be global warming. As the oceans continue to warm, the levels of plankton are expected to continue to decline as well. Not only will their decline impact all marine species which rely upon them, but they will also potentially lead to heightened global warming impacts. Phytoplankton are a major contributor to the world’s absorption of carbon dioxide while also being a major producer of oxygen. The world clearly cannot afford for phytoplankton to disappear.
