New report highlights health of the UK's plankton communities
A new report from the University of Plymouth warns that climate change and human activities are significantly impacting UK plankton communities. These shifts threaten the efficiency of marine food webs and overall ocean productivity.
Why it matters
Plankton are the foundation of the marine food chain; their decline poses a major risk to global fisheries and ecosystem stability.
edited by Lisa Lock , reviewed by Andrew Zinin
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
Add as preferred source Phytoplankton—the foundation of the oceanic food chain. Credit: NOAA MESA Project, CC0 Public Domain Researchers from the University of Plymouth have led the production of a new report highlighting the impact of climate change on marine plankton and pelagic habitats in U.K. waters. Published by the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership (MCCIP), the report discusses the latest evidence showing major large-scale shifts already happening in plankton communities.
It also demonstrates how these effects are being amplified by human activities , including commercial fishing and the development of offshore energy infrastructure, as well as runoff from agriculture and other land-based industries.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in