Plankton can investigate crime, affect the climate and influence science
Plankton are vital to planetary and climate stability and are therefore important contributors to human well-being.
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Small but mighty, plankton are some of the most powerful creatures on Earth
Explore the incredible underwater world of plankton.
We study ‘planktivores’ – and found an amazing diversity of shapes among plankton‑feeding fishes
Ever since Charles Darwin, scientists have assumed species facing the same problem often evolve similar traits. But that’s not always the case.
Tiny oceanic plankton adapted to warming during the last ice age, but probably won’t survive future climate change – new study
Scientists have compared data from the last ice age, around 21,000 years ago, and modern records to see what happened to plankton when the world has previously warmed.
Sea plankton shells hold key to millions of years of climate data
Climate change in the past can tell us much about what is happening today. New research shows how plankton shells dredged from sea floors hold the information we seek. For climate data dating back as far…
Plankton have major impact in acidic waters
The smallest species of plankton will increase in numbers to the detriment of other species when C02 levels rise and ocean…
Oceans have seasons too – and climate change could be messing with them
Plankton bloom and wither with the seasons much as plants do on land.
How plankton help control clouds over the world’s most remote oceans
These tiny organisms play a big role in regulating the Earth’s climate.
Uncovered: the mysterious killer triffids that dominate life in our oceans
They ‘engulf living prey, suck out their innards, poison them, harpoon them, make them explode, and steal and reuse body parts’. And we ignore them at our peril.
Ocean ecosystems take two million years to recover after mass extinction – new research
Populations of plankton are in decline. If we push this critical foundation of the marine food chain to extinction, we could cripple ecosystems for millions of years.
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