Currents in an Arctic Sea Accelerate the Sinking of Carbon-Carrying Phytoplankton

Currents in an Arctic sea accelerate the sinking of carbon-carrying phytoplankton

Tiny plantlike organisms called phytoplankton that form the base of marine food webs topped by orcas, whales and sharks usually get eaten or slowly sink to the seafloor, carrying carbon as they go. Across most of the ocean, the descent from sunlit surface layers takes weeks. But in the Arctic's Chukchi Sea, scientists have found that a convergence of currents pushes phytoplankton from under the ice to the seafloor at four times the usual speed.

Environmental News Network - Currents in an Arctic Sea Accelerate the Sinking of Carbon-Carrying Phytoplankton

Documenting the seasonal fate of these tiny marine organisms is a step toward understanding how ecosystems in the world's fastest-warming region may change as ice recedes.

Arctic Currents Are Sending Carbon To The Seafloor Four Times Faster Than Expected

Beneath thick Arctic sea ice, scientists have found enormous blooms of microscopic marine life feeding a process that can send carbon towards the ocean floor far faster than expected. New research from the Chukchi Sea suggests that interactions between powerful ocean currents can force carbon-rich phytoplankton downward at around four times their normal sinking speed, […]