New research finds plankton may have unexpected resilience to warming ocean waters

MAINE PUBLIC • March 22, 2022

New science published in the journal Nature led by a researcher at Boothbay's Bigelow Laboratory reveals that as the ocean warms, some plankton can absorb more climate-warming carbon than previously thought. Bigelow senior scientist Michael Lomas said climate models predict that ocean waters can warm to a point where photosynthetic plankton stop taking up and storing carbon - shutting off like a light. "Our data suggest that perhaps it's more like a dimmer switch in that biological adaptability allows the ocean to continue taking up carbon," Lomas said.