Six decades of plankton decline sparks call to protect the foundation of the marine food web phys.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from phys.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
LORRAINE BARROW The idyllic vacation package often brings to mind a stretch of a pristine, sandy beach set against crystal-clear water, framed with the sun’s rays piercing through the fronds of swaying palm trees. Perhaps a boat on the horizon can be added to the imagination. This is an ideal setting for that perfect beach
Plankton may offer a way to monitor historical marine pollution trends, and could be used to predict trends in human health, according to new research.
Using samples from an almost century-old, ongoing survey of marine plankton, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine suggest that rising levels of manmade chemicals found in parts of the world's oceans might be used to monitor the impact of human activity on ecosystem health, and may one day be used to study the connections between ocean pollution and land-based rates of childhood and adult chronic illnesses.
Oceans generate most of the oxygen we breathe, provide food and medicine and help keep our climate stable. They are also home to amazing animals and ecosystems, like whales and coral reefs, that make the earth a more wondrous place to live. But the world’s marine environments face unprecedented threats. Here are five things to know about the state of our oceans.