Scienceenvironment
Ocean Acidification Alters Phytoplankton Chemistry
Recent scientific research reveals that rising ocean acidity, driven by increased atmospheric carbon dioxide, significantly impacts the internal chemistry of phytoplankton. These microscopic organisms are crucial as the foundation of marine food webs and responsible for half of Earth's oxygen production. Published in Nature Geoscience, the study highlights how anthropogenic emissions are fundamentally altering these foundational marine organisms. Such chemical shifts could trigger cascading consequences throughout global marine ecosystems.