There Are Fungi in The Ocean, And They May Be Way More Important Than We Realized
Researchers have discovered that marine fungi in Arctic sediments play a significant role in the global carbon cycle by trapping carbon and nitrogen. This study highlights how these microscopic organisms contribute to carbon storage in glaciated fjords.
Why it matters
Understanding microbial carbon storage is critical for accurate climate modeling and assessing how geological settings contribute to global carbon sequestration.
Add ScienceAlert on Google Fungi in the Arctic sediments could look a bit like this. (David Spears FRPS ASIS FRMS/Corbis Documentary/Getty Images) Hidden inside tree trunks, between grains of soil, deep within our bodies, and below our feet, fungi seem to wind their way into everything.
But did you know fungi actually live in the ocean, too?
New research published in PLOS Biology reveals the overlooked role of marine fungi in the carbon cycle by zooming in on the seawater and sediments that line an Arctic fjord in Norway.
We're only just starting to understand how widespread fungi are on this planet, and how much they contribute to the global carbon cycle.
Marine fungi are easily overlooked because they're microscopic, but that doesn't mean their impact is small.
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