Critical ocean microbes may collapse as warming threatens global food webs: Research
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\nA new study published in Nature Microbiology warns that critical ocean microbes are at risk of collapse due to rising ocean temperatures, a finding that could have a domino effect on global food webs.<\/p>\n
According to research led by Francois Ribalet of the University of Washington and reported by the Anadolu Agency, a microscopic organism called Prochlorococcus is highly vulnerable to warming ocean waters. These microbes are vital to marine ecosystems, as they are responsible for 5% of all global photosynthesis and form the foundation of the marine food web, supporting a vast array of sea creatures.<\/p>\n
The study, which analyzed 800 billion cells over a decade, found that the productivity of Prochlorococcus could plummet by 37% globally in high-warming scenarios. The researchers discovered that the microbes’ cell division rates crash dramatically in water temperatures above 86\u00b0F (30\u00b0C). The research revealed that these organisms multiply most efficiently between 66\u00b0F and 84\u00b0F. Climate models predict that tropical and subtropical ocean temperatures will exceed the 86\u00b0F threshold within 75 years. This decline in productivity means there will be less carbon and less food available for the rest of the marine food web, posing a significant threat to marine life and potentially impacting human food security.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Critical ocean microbes may collapse as warming threatens global food webs: Research ———————————————– A new study published in Nature Microbiology warns that critical ocean microbes are at risk of collapse due to rising ocean temperatures, a finding that could have a domino effect on global food webs. According to research led by Francois Ribalet of …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":133380,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_108372464460192_245495985553329":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[9102],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-133381","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environment"],"yoast_head":"\n