Plankton Poop To Predict Climate Changes
<p><span word="Scientists">Scientists</span> <span word="trying">trying</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="predict">predict</span> <span word="future">future</span> <span word="changes">changes</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="climate">climate</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="using">using</span> <span word="every">every</span> <span word="possible">possible</span> <span word="source">source</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="data">data</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="calculations">calculations</span>. <span word="Lately">Lately</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="learned">learned</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="sensitive">sensitive</span> <span word="instruments">instruments</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="floating">floating</span> <span word="right">right</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="front">front</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="them">them</span> - <span word="tiny">tiny</span> <span word="clumps">clumps</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="organic">organic</span> <span word="matter">matter</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="drift">drift</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ocean">ocean</span>.</p><p><span word="As">As</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="materializing">materializing</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="different">different</span> <span word="dimension">dimension</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="submersible">submersible</span> <span word="device">device</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="PELAGRA">PELAGRA</span> (<span word="PElagic">PElagic</span> <span word="LAGRAngian">LAGRAngian</span> <span word="sediment">sediment</span> <span word="trap">trap</span>) <span word="slips">slips</span> <span word="below">below</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="surface">surface</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="sinks">sinks</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="research">research</span> <span word="pool">pool</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="National">National</span> <span word="Oceanography">Oceanography</span> <span word="Centre">Centre</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Southampton">Southampton</span>, <span word="England">England</span>.</p><p><span word="Soon">Soon</span>, <span word="two">two</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="devices">devices</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="deployed">deployed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="South">South</span> <span word="Atlantic">Atlantic</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="collect">collect</span> <span word="samples">samples</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="so">so</span>-<span word="called">called</span> '<span word="marine">marine</span> <span word="snow">snow</span>.'</p><p>"<span word="Marine">Marine</span> <span word="snow">snow</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="composed">composed</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="dead">dead</span> <span word="phytoplankton">phytoplankton</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="sort">sort</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="clump">clump</span> <span word="together">together</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="form">form</span> <span word="flakes">flakes</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="then">then</span> <span word="they">they</span>'<span word="re">re</span> <span word="heavy">heavy</span> <span word="enough">enough</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="sink">sink</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="deep">deep</span> <span word="ocean">ocean</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="formed">formed</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="animals">animals</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="eat">eat</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="plants">plants</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="then">then</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="poop">poop</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="carbon">carbon</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="then">then</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="fecal">fecal</span> <span word="pellets">pellets</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="heavy">heavy</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="sink">sink</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bottom">bottom</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ocean">ocean</span>, <span word="also">also</span> <span word="carrying">carrying</span> <span word="lots">lots</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="carbon">carbon</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="them">them</span>," <span word="said">said</span> <span word="biogeochemist">biogeochemist</span> <span word="Stephanie">Stephanie</span> <span word="Henson">Henson</span>.</p><p><span word="Although">Although</span> <span word="invisible">invisible</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="naked">naked</span> <span word="eye">eye</span>, <span word="phytoplankton">phytoplankton</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="abundant">abundant</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="responsible">responsible</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="half">half</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="carbon">carbon</span> <span word="absorbing">absorbing</span> <span word="photosynthetic">photosynthetic</span> <span word="activity">activity</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="earth">earth</span>.</p><p><span word="Understanding">Understanding</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="process">process</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="help">help</span> <span word="scientists">scientists</span> <span word="create">create</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="advanced">advanced</span> <span word="computer">computer</span> <span word="models">models</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="global">global</span> <span word="environmental">environmental</span> <span word="changes">changes</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="challenge">challenge</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="build">build</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="submersible">submersible</span> <span word="device">device</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="float">float</span> <span word="between">between</span> 50 <span word="and">and</span> 500 <span word="meters">meters</span> <span word="deep">deep</span>. <span word="That">That</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="scientists">scientists</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="carbon">carbon</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="absorbed">absorbed</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="beginning">beginning</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="journey">journey</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bottom">bottom</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="sea">sea</span>.</p>
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