<figure class="wp-block-audio"></figure>

There is a lot of exciting oceanographic research being done at Texas A&M, over the next few weeks On the Ocean will be highlighting some of the work being done by graduate students in the department of oceanography.

<figure class="wp-block-image"><figcaption>https://planktonforhealth.co.uk/worlds-finest-marine-phytoplankton-powder/whats-definition-phytoplankton/</figcaption></figure>

Phytoplankton are microscopic plants living in the ocean that photosynthesize, like trees, taking in carbon dioxide and producing oxygen. These tiny plants produce about half of the oxygen that we breathe and thus have a huge impact on our world. They also produce other substances that provide food for other marine organisms, making them an important part of the marine food web. These substances that phytoplankton produce are small enough that they could be lifted into the atmosphere as aerosol during wave breaking at the surface of the ocean. Marine sources of aerosol, like phytoplankton, represent a natural contribution to the atmosphere, which can also include dust and sea salt. However, non-natural sources due to human activity, such as air pollutants, are also important aerosol contributions. All sources of aerosols can form clouds under certain atmospheric conditions. The ocean covers about 70% of the Earth’s surface, representing a potentially large area for marine aerosol production which could cause changes in climate and weather patterns. However, we do not currently understand how it could affect Earth’s climate and whether it will cause increased or decreased global cloud coverage. Researchers in the Department of Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences are working on a project studying different phytoplankton in laboratory experiments to better understand how different organisms and changing environmental conditions affect these atmospheric processes. The results from this study could provide fundamental information on how phytoplankton interact with the atmosphere and hopefully allow scientists to understand and predict the impacts of marine aerosol on the formation of clouds and Earth’s climate.

<figure class="wp-block-image"><figcaption>https://naames.larc.nasa.gov/science-objectives.html</figcaption></figure>

This has been On the Ocean, a program made possible by the Department of Oceanography and a production of KAMU-FM on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station. For more information and links please go to ocean.tamu.edu and click On the Ocean.

Featured image from: http://www.naturemuseum.org/the-museum/blog/how-do-clouds-float

Script Author: Alyssa Alsante

Contributing Professor: Dr. Daniel Thornton