Scientists suggest a rise in phytoplankton in oceans could help tackle climate change

The long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns show that climate change is happening at a very fast pace. Continuous rise in temperatures, disruption of the usual balance of nature, changes in the intensity and frequency of precipitation, and warmer oceans, are some of the clear indications of climate change.

Global calls have been raised to tackle the situation that is worsening with every single moment.

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Some climate scientists have suggested raising the number of phytoplankton present in the ocean can help remove more carbon from the atmosphere.

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What are phytoplanktons?

Phytoplanktons are microscopic marine algae. These single-celled photosynthetic organisms live suspended in water. They provide food for a wide range of sea creatures in a balanced ecosystem. Just like plants, they consume carbon dioxide, make carbohydrates using light energy, and release oxygen back into the atmosphere.

John Martin, the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories oceanographer, said in 1988 that if someone gave him half a tanker of iron, he would somehow cause an ice age.

The reference was the known fact that Iron is a crucial source of energy for the plankton community. It helps phytoplankton bloom.

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Even a small addition of iron may lead to a substantial increase in the production of phytoplankton and eventually reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.

Well, scientists have also claimed that this approach would require further investigations. Meanwhile, Ken Buesseler, who is a marine radiochemist from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, investigated how and if adding iron changes the flux of carbon into the deep ocean. Reportedly, he discovered a sizable carbon-sequestering effect.

Buesseler reportedly said that his research demonstrated unequivocally that increasing iron leads to the uptake of carbon dioxide.

The research was completed nearly 20 years ago but it is more relevant now considering the climate crisis we are facing.

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