Microscopic marine life plays a fundamental role in the health of the ocean and, ultimately, the planet. Just like plants on land, tiny phytoplankton use photosynthesis to consume carbon dioxide and convert it into organic matter and oxygen. This biological transformation is known as marine primary productivity.
In a new study in Nature Geoscience today, MBARI Senior Scientist Ken Johnson and former MBARI postdoctoral fellow Mariana Bif demonstrated how a fleet of robotic floats could revolutionize our understanding of primary productivity in the ocean on a global scale.
Read the full article here (mbari.org).
Original journal article: Johnson, K.S. and M.B. Bif (2021). Constraint on net primary productivity of the global ocean by Argo oxygen measurements. Nature Geoscience. doi.org/10.1038/s41561-021-00807-z
Video abstract: