Phytoplankton (IMAGE)

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Phytoplankton

Caption

The researchers found that sinking particles of stressed and dying phytoplankton release chemicals that have a jolting, steroid-like effect on marine bacteria feeding on the particles. The chemicals juice up the bacteria's metabolism causing them to more rapidly convert organic carbon in the particles back into CO2 before they can sink to the deep ocean.

Credit

Photo by Dawn Moran, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

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