The microcosm of the ocean: Discovering the role of plankton in climate change

Would you believe me if I told you, that a group of tiny marine organisms, which you cannot even see with the naked eye, has the power to support the entire life of the ocean?

And not only that - every second breath of oxygen we take is produced by some of these little heroes through one of their 'superpowers', photosynthesis.

Plankton are microscopic organisms that float in the ocean, consisting of phytoplankton (plant-like) and zooplankton (the smallest animals on Earth).

In this lecture, we will first have a closer look at how beautiful and morphologically diverse these organisms are, and understand why they are the basis of life in the ocean.

In the second part, we will focus on the ongoing climate change by explaining the greenhouse concept and how these planktonic organisms help us mitigate its effects by storing carbon in the deep ocean.

(Photo: Shutterstock)