Rising Ocean Temperatures Affecting Plankton Cycles

[hatrack]

"Climate change is affecting annual blooms of plankton, scientists say.

Populations of plankton, tiny creatures at the base of the ocean's food chain, wax and wane once or twice a year, much like regular cycles for land plants and animals. Researchers measure subtle changes in the timing of these annual events as one way to study the effects of global warming.

Scientists from England looked at 44 years of life cycle data for more than 60 plankton species. The ocean's surface temperature increased by about 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit during the four decades encompassed by the study.

Species that take their cues from temperature changes for important life events, such as when to reproduce, bloomed sooner than those that depend on sunlight level or day length conditions mostly unaffected by climate change."

EDIT

http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040825/THINGS0206/408250301/1055/news

[shadu]

1. I couldn't even guess what the effects of this will be

But you can bet it won't be nice.

[kestrel91316]

2. Oh, we are SO SCREWED...................

here's another canary in the coal mine. They are popping up almost daily now.