Source of essential nutrients for mid-ocean algae discovered
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 - 13:20
in Earth & Climate
For almost three decades, oceanographers have been puzzled by the ability of microscopic algae to grow in mid-ocean areas where there is very little nitrate, an essential algal nutrient. In a new study, researchers show that mid-ocean algae obtain nitrate from deep water, as much as 250 meters below the surface. This finding will help scientists predict how open-ocean ecosystems could respond to global warming.