Heating Up the Microbial Soup: Warm Oceans May Benefit Cyanobacteria
The oceans are warming due to climate change and this will impact all oceanic life, from the smallest plankton to the largest tuna. The web of life in the ocean is complex, and so exactly which ecosystems will be affected and how much they will change is currently being intensely researched. It is especially important to understand how phytoplankton, the foundation of the food web and producers of oxygen, will be affected by this changing environment. If phytoplankton decreases or changes distribution, then fisheries may also see reduced catches or fish moving out of the area entirely. Cyanobacteria are a very numerous, ancient, and widespread type of phytoplankton. They were believed to have transformed the ancient atmosphere of Earth from being high in carbon dioxide to high in oxygen, paving the way for the evolution of life as we know it. One cyanobacterium is microscopic, but when conditions are right,…