April
2007
Ocean ecosystems0
26-Apr-2007 Strange things happen in the twilight zone. Carbon dioxide absorbed by photosynthesizing marine plants near the sunlit ocean surface does not all sink to the depths.
Instead the carbon on sinking marine particles is often consumed by animals and bacteria, and recycled in the twilight zone—100 to 1,000 meters below the surface—so it never reaches the deep ocean.
Using new technology, a multi-national team has discovered that the twilight zone acts as a gate, allowing more sinking particles through in some regions and fewer in others. This makes it more difficult for the moment to predict the ocean’s role in offsetting the impacts of greenhouse gases.
3-Apr-2007 Coral reefs around the world are being exploited unsustainably. To support current levels of fishing an additional area almost four times that of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef would be needed. These figures will nearly triple by 2050.
2-Nov-2006 Research shows that all stocks of fish and seafood in the oceans will collapse within forty years. Story and science teaching resources (US or UK English) posted at www.realscience.org.uk
