Dr Katrin Schmidt is among the authors of a study which reveals for the first time that zooplankton migration contributes significantly to carbon sequestration.
Dr Katrin Schmidt is among the authors of a study which reveals for the first time that zooplankton migration contributes significantly to carbon sequestration.
A groundbreaking study has revealed that small but mighty zooplankton—including copepods, krill, and salps—are key players in the Southern Ocean’s ability to absorb and store carbon.
Led by an international team of researchers, the study quantifies for the first time how these tiny creatures collectively enhance carbon sequestration through their seasonal, vertical migrations.
The Southern Ocean is a key region for carbon storage. Traditional thinking is that the carbon storage in the Southern Ocean is dominated by gravitational sinking of detritus produced by large zooplankton grazers, such as krill.
Read more at University of Plymouth
Image: Left panel: The traditional view of how zooplankton transport carbon to depth by eating phytoplankton in surface waters in summer, whereby their waste material (Particulate Organic Carbon, POC) sinks passively to great depth, thereby storing the carbon for thousands of years. Right panel: This new study shows that a winter process known as the ‘seasonal migrant pump’ also leads to a substantial deep carbon storage. The zooplankton migrate downwards in autumn to overwinter below 500m where their respiration and death directly inject around 65 million tonnes of carbon annually into the deep ocean. (Credit: Yang, G. et al.)
