News Climate

Phytoplankton’s response to climate change has its ups and downs

Initial shell-making gains adjusting to more acidic water later erased, 4-year experiment shows

phytoplankton

ARMOR-PLATED  In a four-year experiment simulating ocean acidification conditions expected under climate change, shell-building rates of Emiliania huxleyi phytoplankton (shown) dropped, rebounded and then dropped again.

Kai T. Lohbeck/GEOMAR

By Thomas Sumner

- More than 2 years ago

Armor-plated marine microbes surprised scientists a few years ago by recovering their shell-building prowess in levels of ocean acidification expected under future climate change.