Study: Plankton, abundantly-found organism, maintains chemical balance & marine processes

Microorganisms play an important role in maintaining the chemical balance of the ocean, as revealed in a study of plankton and the ocean surface. Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences' experts discuss how what happens below the ocean surface impacts what happens above it. Plankton, one of the ocean's most abundantly found and important organisms, is assumed to maintain chemical balance and affect a variety of marine processes, including the food web and the global carbon cycle. According to a study published in the journal Communications Earth and Environment, the balance of chemical components is mostly dependent on activity in the sub-surface ocean, which occurs at depths of over 300 feet. 

The researchers investigated samples from eight places around the world's oceans and found that nitrogen and phosphorus delivered from the sub-surface ocean are crucial for the balance of these nutrients in marine microorganisms. Lomas studied phytoplankton in order to have a better understanding of chemical ratios.

What are Phytoplanktons?

Phytoplanktons resemble microalgae, that possess chlorophyll and rely on sunlight to survive and prosper. The majority of phytoplanktons are buoyant and float in the ocean's upper layers, where sunlight enters the water. They are one of the most prominent marine organisms in the world. Lomas employed flow cytometry to have a better understanding of the various element's ratios in the water. Researchers were able to inspect and sort hundreds to thousands of cells each second utilizing this technique for this study. The nutrients available in their environment are reflected in the components found in these creatures' cells.

Previously, physical filters were used to remove plankton from saltwater, but they also caught bacteria and small particles, resulting in errors. Flow cytometry, on the other hand, allowed the researchers to isolate and investigate only the cells that they were interested in. It also gave them a greater grasp of how the components are controlled. Lomas hopes to learn more about nutrients and how seas will respond to climate change by employing this technique.