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In the subtropical North Atlantic, dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) concentrations are depleted and might co-limit N2 fixation and microbial productivity. There are relatively large pools of dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP), but microbes need an enzyme to access this P source. One such alkaline phosphatase (APase) enzyme requires zinc (Zn) as its activating cofactor. This has […]
Read MoreA recent study by Pohlman et al. published in PNAS showed that ocean waters near the surface of the Arctic Ocean absorbed 2,000 times more carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere than the amount of methane released into the atmosphere from the same waters. The study was conducted near Norway’s Svalbard Islands, which overly numerous […]
Read MoreWhat controls the amount of organic carbon entering the deep ocean? In the sunlit layer of the ocean, phytoplankton transform inorganic carbon to organic carbon via a process called photosynthesis. As these particulate forms of organic carbon stick together, they become dense enough to sink out of the sunlit layer, transferring large quantities of organic […]
Read MoreTurbulence is known to be a primary determinant of plankton fitness and succession. However, open questions remain about whether phytoplankton can actively respond to turbulence and, if so, how rapidly they can adapt to it. Recent experiments have revealed that phytoplankton can behaviorally respond to turbulent cues with a rapid change in shape, and this […]
Read MoreThe diatom Pseudo-nitzchia produces a neurotoxin called domoic acid, which in high concentrations affects wildlife ranging from mussels and crabs to seabirds and sea lions, as well as humans. In humans, the effects of domoic acid poisoning can range from gastrointestinal distress to memory loss, and even death. Despite being studied in laboratories since the […]
Read MoreCoral reefs are diverse, productive ecosystems that are highly vulnerable to changing ocean conditions such as acidification and warming. Coral reef metabolism—in particular the fundamental ecosystem properties of net community production (NCP; the balance of photosynthesis and respiration) and net community calcification (NCC; the balance of calcification and dissolution)—has been proposed as a proxy for […]
Read MoreSince preindustrial times, the ocean has removed from the atmosphere 41% of the carbon emitted by human industrial activities (Figure 1). The globally integrated rate of ocean carbon uptake is increasing in response to rising atmospheric CO2 levels and is expected to continue this trend for the foreseeable future. However, the inherent uncertainties in ocean […]
Read MoreUnder the increasing threat of climate change, conservation practitioners and policy makers are seeking innovative and data–driven recommendations for mitigating emissions and increasing natural carbon sinks through nature-based solutions. While the ocean and terrestrial forests, and more recently, coastal wetlands, are well known carbon sinks, there is interest in exploring the carbon storage potential of […]
Read MoreThe North Pacific accounts for ~25% of the global ocean’s uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. However, the relative importance of the biological pump vs. physical circulation in driving ocean uptake of CO2 remains poorly understood. In a recent study, Palevsky and Quay (2017) used geochemical measurements collected on sixteen container ship transects […]
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