Tag: Plankton
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Meet Leedsichthys problematicus: The Massive Jurassic Plankton-Eater
Introduction: A Giant of the Jurassic Seas The creature behind one of paleontology’s most enduring mysteries is Leedsichthys problematicus—a colossal bony fish that roamed the world’s oceans during the Middle to Late Jurassic. As the largest known bony fish, it stands as a monumental example of early vertebrate diversity and the extraordinary ways life adapted…
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NASA Detects Tiny Red Plankton That Helps Save Endangered Right Whales
How a Satellite Spotlighted a Tiny Ocean Player In a surprising turn of satellite science, NASA’s Aqua mission recently focused on a microscopic yet mighty creature lurking in the Atlantic: Calanus finmarchicus, a red plankton species whose abundance can influence the fate of the North Atlantic right whale. Far off the New England coast, researchers…
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Tiny Red Plankton, Big Hope: How NASA’s Ocean Watch Helps Save the North Atlantic Right Whale
Introduction: A Satellite Perspective on the Ocean’s Tiny Pillars Far off the New England coast, scientists have long known that the fate of the North Atlantic right whale is closely tied to what happens beneath the waves. This week, NASA’s Aqua satellite provided a new lens on that connection by detecting vast clouds of a…
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NASA Scientists Zoomed In on the Ocean — Then Spotted a Tiny Red Creature That Keeps Whales Alive
What NASA Found Off the New England Coast In a remarkable crossover of space technology and ocean biology, NASA scientists using the Aqua satellite began by zooming in on the ocean off the New England coast. The mission wasn’t chasing stars or weather, but tiny red lifeforms that play a big role in one of…
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Chemistry in Pictures: Tiny Ocean Engineers
Introduction: The Micro Architects of the Sea From the shimmering surface to the dark depths, the ocean hosts countless tiny builders whose work quietly sustains the global climate. Coccolithophores are among the most remarkable of these microscopic engineers. These single-celled marine algae construct intricate calcium carbonate shells—the unmistakable plates, spines, and lattice-like coverings that give…
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Tiny Ocean Engineers: Coccolithophores and the Ocean’s Carbon Clock
Introduction: Tiny organisms with a global footprint Invisible to the naked eye, coccolithophores are a group of microscopic marine algae that pull carbon from the atmosphere and lock it away in their intricate calcium carbonate shells. These tiny ocean engineers vary in shape and surface texture—from plated and porous to spiky exterior designs—but they all…
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Chemistry in Pictures: Tiny Ocean Engineers and the Carbon Sequestration Plankton
Introduction: The quiet architects of the carbon cycle In the vast and dynamic marine realm, microscopic algae perform outsized roles. Among them, coccolithophores—tiny, single-celled plankton with plated, spiky exteriors—stand out for their chemistry-rich contributions to Earth’s climate system. These “tiny ocean engineers” pull carbon dioxide from seawater and convert it into calcium carbonate shells, constructing…