A widespread plankton has startled marine biologists by
thriving in seawater doctored in the lab to simulate conditions predicted for
the year 2100. The plankton, a coccolithophore called Emiliania huxleyi, had become an iconic species for the perils of
greenhouse gas buildup. Since the beginning of the industrial era, humans have
added enough carbon dioxide to the atmosphere to nudge seawater closer to
acidity.
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