A NASA satellite orbiting Earth, which can see through fog, clouds and darkness, has given scientists the first permanent look at phytoplankton peak-decline cycles. It is the backbone of the ocean's food chain and is vital to the existence of life on Earth.
The results showed that small environmental changes in polar food webs have a significant impact on the peak-decline cycles of phytoplankton. The researchers believe the findings, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, will provide important data for ecosystem management, commercial fisheries, and understanding the interactions between Earth's climate and key ocean ecosystems.
“It is very important for us to understand what controls these boom-bust cycles, and how they might change in the future, so that we can better assess the implications for all other parts of the food web, said Michael Behrenfeld, marine plankton expert at the University of Oregon in Corvallis, USA.
Wildlife depends on what happens to the tiny green plants, or phytoplankton, at the bottom of the ocean's food chain. Commercial fishing, marine mammals and birds all depend on phytoplankton blooms. Phytoplanktons also affect the Earth's carbon cycle. Through photosynthesis, they absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide dissolved in the upper layer of the ocean and produce oxygen, which is vital to life on Earth. This reduces the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
NASA used a special instrument, launched in 2006, that uses a laser to take measurements. Scientists used the device to continuously monitor plankton in the polar regions from 2006 to 2015.
“This instrument has changed the way we think about remote sensing of the ocean from space. We were able to study the workings of the high-latitude ocean ecosystem at all times of the year, while previously we were completely blind,”says Chris Hostetler, a researcher at NASA's Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.
Burmas Roman