Warmer The Ocean, More The food For Fish

Insync

oi-Staff

Thursday, October 8, 2009, 15:02

A new research finds that plankton, the basis of marine food webs, might grow faster in oceans that are warm. The sheer diversity of ocean food webs has made experts fear it would be impossible to predict how climate change will affect marine ecology.

And now, a new page unfolds in this study. According to a report in New Scientist, the team found that plankton, the basis of marine food webs, might react predictably to ocean warming.

The team warmed 4-litre 'microcosms' of seawater. They found that phytoplankton grew slightly faster with every degree of temperature rise. This might not be entirely bad news for people, says O' Connor.

The calculation comes simple. More zooplankton means more food for fish, though such top-heavy food webs could crash, she warned. "The effect could be translated up the food chain," said O' Connor. She, however, adds: "But if nutrients in the water are limited, that top-heavy food web structure could be less stable, and crash all together."

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