When tiny marine plants are exposed to mineral enriched dust blown into the sea from the land, they bloom over thousands of kilometres, potentially cooling the planet.
Scientists have found new evidence that desertification, potentially linked to global warming, leads to large amounts of nutrient-rich dust landing in the sea, causing ocean algae to grow rapidly. Biological oceanographer John A. Gittings and an international group of researchers have found an example of this phenomenon in the Indian Ocean south-east of Madagascar.
Read more: As the oceans warm, deep-living algae are thriving – with major potential effects for the marine ecosystem During the spring/summer of 2019/2020 in the southern hemisphere, an exceptional phytoplankton bloom was discovered in the Indian Ocean south-east of Madagascar. This was during a period of the year when blooms are not expected. The bloom began in November 2019 before diffusing into the Mozambique channel and broader Madagascar basin in December 2019 and January 2020.
Read more: Earth's oldest, tiniest creatures are poised to be climate change winners – and the repercussions could be huge Carried over long distances by wind, the dust was deposited into the nutrient-limited surface waters south-east of Madagascar through intense rainfall events. Blooms of this magnitude are rare. But rising air temperatures, increasing dryness, and higher dust emissions in southern Africa suggest that such events could become more common in the future.
Read more: Inside the world of tiny phytoplankton – microscopic algae that provide most of our oxygen
European Space Agency Natural World Phytoplankton
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