Recent significant events have demonstrated the critical role of ocean phytoplankton in sustaining life on earth. Also known as saltwater algae, ocean 'phytos' are thousands of types of microscopic, unicellular plant-like organisms that float or swim about within sunlit areas of oceanic waters. Like terrestrial plants, 'phytos' use CO2, sunlight and various minerals to survive, grow and multiply, and release oxygen into the waters as by-product. 'Phytos' form the base of Earth's oceanic food chain and have been known to supply some 70% of Earth's atmospheric oxygen before industrial times. Here are certain indicators of 'phytos' critical roles, as sourced from various internet websites:
1) In 1991 the Philippine volcano Mt. Pinatubo blew out 40,000 tons of ejecta such as silica sand, pumice rock fragments, minerals, sulfur dioxide, volcanic glass, ash and fine clay into the atmosphere. Some twenty million tons of ash and sulfur dioxide were injected into the stratosphere. The gas and fine ash were dispersed worldwide by winds and stayed around for some 3 years. Result: a global decline in atmospheric CO2, a global decrease in temperature by 0.5 deg.C, and a global increase in oxygen levels, all from 1991 to 1993. Scientists theorize that aerosols of the sulfur dioxide blocked sunlight while iron and silica in the ash that were scattered over oceans raised 'phyto' populations that transformed enormous volumes of CO2 into oxygen. The chain of circumstances apparently led to global cooling.
2) From 1993 and years thereafter, 13 scientific researches proved that oceanic phytoplankton blooms can be stimulated by iron augmentation of ocean sections.
3) In 2004, a European experiment scattered a large quantity of powdered iron compound in an ocean eddy formed by the mixing of currents. Result: a bloom of 'phyto' diatoms occurred which sank much later, apparently after the diatoms fully absorbed the iron.
4) In August 2009, a German-Indian experiment fertilized 900 sq.kms of South Atlantic waters with iron compound. Algal blooms came up but little CO2 was sequestered. Further studies revealed why: the area was low in silica, which diatoms need to build their skeletons.
5) In 2012, a European company scattered 100 tons of iron sulfate into a northern part of the Pacific Ocean. Result: algae bloomed within 10,000 square miles of ocean, and the 2013 salmon run greatly increased from the usual 50 million to some 226 million fish due to the enormous quantities of algal food.
6) Another 2012 study observed that 50% of dead phytoplankton sank below 1,000 meters of ocean where ocean currents do not mix with those above. The CO2 sequestered within their bodies were thus expected to be 'tied up' over millenia within ocean bottoms. The rest of the 'phytos' were eaten by marine creatures, which thereby sequestered the carbon into their bodies. Bottom creatures were also observed to use carbonic acid in the waters to build their shells, thereby sequestering more CO2.
7) Various scientific studies showed that phytoplankton blooms accompanied by increases in fish populations occurred whenever and wherever dust storms with 3-5% iron blew over ocean sections.
8) Other studies report that algal blooms have occurred for millions of years with no observed harmful effects if such blooms occurred in the 'blue sea' or way beyond coastal waters.
9) In 2010, a scientific study estimated a 40% decrease in 'phyto' populations since 1960, indicating a 1% yearly decrease. Another study observed a 6-12% decline in the world's oceanic plankton populations since 1980, and a recent study predicted 20% decline by year 2100, given current conditions. The planet is apparently losing its most effective CO2 absorbers at an alarming rate.
10) In the Philippines and other tropical countries with seacoasts, red tides or blooms of certain poisonous phytoplankton occur when nutrient-rich rivers deposit large volumes of fertilizer-rich silt into coastal waters.
What conclusions and additional facts have been deduced and observed by various scientific studies out of such historical facts and scientific experiments? The next posts will reveal data that should lead to climate change solutions based on the natural bio-processes undergone by oceanic phytoplankton
1) In 1991 the Philippine volcano Mt. Pinatubo blew out 40,000 tons of ejecta such as silica sand, pumice rock fragments, minerals, sulfur dioxide, volcanic glass, ash and fine clay into the atmosphere. Some twenty million tons of ash and sulfur dioxide were injected into the stratosphere. The gas and fine ash were dispersed worldwide by winds and stayed around for some 3 years. Result: a global decline in atmospheric CO2, a global decrease in temperature by 0.5 deg.C, and a global increase in oxygen levels, all from 1991 to 1993. Scientists theorize that aerosols of the sulfur dioxide blocked sunlight while iron and silica in the ash that were scattered over oceans raised 'phyto' populations that transformed enormous volumes of CO2 into oxygen. The chain of circumstances apparently led to global cooling.
2) From 1993 and years thereafter, 13 scientific researches proved that oceanic phytoplankton blooms can be stimulated by iron augmentation of ocean sections.
3) In 2004, a European experiment scattered a large quantity of powdered iron compound in an ocean eddy formed by the mixing of currents. Result: a bloom of 'phyto' diatoms occurred which sank much later, apparently after the diatoms fully absorbed the iron.
4) In August 2009, a German-Indian experiment fertilized 900 sq.kms of South Atlantic waters with iron compound. Algal blooms came up but little CO2 was sequestered. Further studies revealed why: the area was low in silica, which diatoms need to build their skeletons.
5) In 2012, a European company scattered 100 tons of iron sulfate into a northern part of the Pacific Ocean. Result: algae bloomed within 10,000 square miles of ocean, and the 2013 salmon run greatly increased from the usual 50 million to some 226 million fish due to the enormous quantities of algal food.
6) Another 2012 study observed that 50% of dead phytoplankton sank below 1,000 meters of ocean where ocean currents do not mix with those above. The CO2 sequestered within their bodies were thus expected to be 'tied up' over millenia within ocean bottoms. The rest of the 'phytos' were eaten by marine creatures, which thereby sequestered the carbon into their bodies. Bottom creatures were also observed to use carbonic acid in the waters to build their shells, thereby sequestering more CO2.
7) Various scientific studies showed that phytoplankton blooms accompanied by increases in fish populations occurred whenever and wherever dust storms with 3-5% iron blew over ocean sections.
8) Other studies report that algal blooms have occurred for millions of years with no observed harmful effects if such blooms occurred in the 'blue sea' or way beyond coastal waters.
9) In 2010, a scientific study estimated a 40% decrease in 'phyto' populations since 1960, indicating a 1% yearly decrease. Another study observed a 6-12% decline in the world's oceanic plankton populations since 1980, and a recent study predicted 20% decline by year 2100, given current conditions. The planet is apparently losing its most effective CO2 absorbers at an alarming rate.
10) In the Philippines and other tropical countries with seacoasts, red tides or blooms of certain poisonous phytoplankton occur when nutrient-rich rivers deposit large volumes of fertilizer-rich silt into coastal waters.
What conclusions and additional facts have been deduced and observed by various scientific studies out of such historical facts and scientific experiments? The next posts will reveal data that should lead to climate change solutions based on the natural bio-processes undergone by oceanic phytoplankton
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