Media Releases and Opportunities

Phytoplankton -- microscopic plant-like organisms -- are at the base of the marine food web and, like land plants, remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Our ability to track Earth's phytoplankton has largely come from space satellites observing the sea surface. However, phytoplankton growing deep below the surface are not “seen” by these satellites, leaving a significant gap in our how we monitor one of Earth’s most important primary producers.

Researchers at Dalhousie University are changing that with the help of a global network of underwater robots known as BCG-Argo floats, which can measure phytoplankton where satellites can’t.

In a new study, scientists used data from these Argo floats to calculate how much phytoplankton biomass is on Earth: about 346 million tonnes, which is equivalent to about 250 million elephants. These scientists determined that at least half of all phytoplankton on Earth are not directly observed by space satellites.

Adam Stoer, a graduate student in the Department of Oceanography and lead author of the paper, is available to discuss the research and how it represents an important advance in tracking the world's "missing" phytoplankton while providing a better understanding of the effects of climate change.

Attached photos showing the deployment of floats in the Labrador Sea in May 2024 can be credited to Adam Stoer. More assets are available on the Adopt-a-Float website.

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Media contact:

Alison Auld
Senior Research Reporter
Dalhousie University
Cell: 902-220-0491
Email: Alison.auld@dal.ca