Calcifying plankton play a crucial role in regulating the climate, yet their impact is often underestimated in current climate models. A new study urges that the diversity and vulnerability of these organisms should be taken into account to improve the accuracy of climate change predictions.
Recent studies have shown that the mechanism by which deep-sea organisms feed on "marine snow" emerged soon after the mass extinction 444 million years ago and has since helped maintain the stability of marine ecosystems. This discovery sheds light on how life was able to recover rapidly after catastrophic events.
A new study has shown that coarse gravel on the ocean floor can accumulate and retain significant amounts of CO2 over millions of years, playing an important role in Earth's long-term carbon cycle.