phytoplankton

• A study led by the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) has revealed that rain is the main trigger of seasonal stratification in shelf seas.
• Stratification impacts the spring phytoplankton bloom, which underpins the food web.

• A new study led by the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) has revealed a change in the colour of the ocean over the last 20 years.
• Scientists believe this colour difference is due to the impact of climate change on plankton ecosystems.

To assess how the scientific requirements of South Georgia will best be facilitated, a NOC scientist joined others from institutes around the world in the Falklands this week.

For most of us, ferries are simply a convenient means of getting from A to B on a short break or family holiday, but for scientists at the National Oceanography Centre, they have proved to be an invaluable source of information about harmful phytoplankton growth in the English Channel.

A recent study of phytoplankton by a NOC scientist has found cyanobacteria apparently remain the faster growing CO₂ fixers in the oligotrophic ocean, which covers almost 40% of the Earth’s surface.

An NOC underwater glider has completed a 58-day mission in the Irish Sea zigzagging a total of 1685 miles – while avoiding hazards such as fishing vessels and shipping lanes.

The supply of dissolved iron to oceans around continental shelves has been found to be more variable by region than previously believed – with implications for future climate prediction.

Microscopic ocean algae called coccolithophores are providing clues about the impact of climate change both now and many millions of years ago. The study found that their response to environmental change varies between species, in terms of how quickly they grow.

Rapid turnover and remodelling of lipid membranes could help phytoplankton cope with nutrient scarcity in the open ocean.

A study led by Dr Stuart Painter of the National Oceanography Centre helps explain the formation of huge phytoplankton blooms off the southeast coast of South America during the austral summer (December–January). The region supports the highly productive Patagonian Shelf marine ecosystem, which includes a globally important fishery.