•1 min read•from Oceanography News -- ScienceDaily
Scientists warn climate models are missing a key ocean player
Our take
Recent research highlights a critical gap in climate models: the overlooked role of tiny marine plankton that construct calcium carbonate shells. These microscopic organisms play a significant part in regulating Earth's climate by sequestering carbon from the atmosphere and facilitating its storage in the deep ocean. Their absence from existing climate forecasts suggests that scientists may be underestimating the ocean's response to climate change. Addressing this oversight is essential for accurately predicting future climate scenarios and enhancing our understanding of oceanic processes.
Tiny marine plankton that build calcium carbonate shells play an outsized role in regulating Earth’s climate, quietly pulling carbon from the atmosphere and helping lock it away in the deep ocean. New research shows these microscopic engineers are largely missing from the climate models used to forecast our planet’s future, meaning scientists may be underestimating how the ocean responds to climate change.
Read on the original site
Open the publisher's page for the full experience