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The ocean's carbon factory: ocean composition. the growth patterns of phytoplankton species
| Content Provider | NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
|---|---|
| Author | Gregg, Watson |
| Copyright Year | 2000 |
| Description | According to biological data recorded by the Sea-Viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SeaWiFS) satellite, the ocean contains nearly half of all the Earth's photosynthesis activity. Through photosynthesis, plant life forms use carbon from the atmosphere, and in return, plants produce the oxygen that life requires. In effect, ocean chlorophyll works like a factory, taking carbon and "manufacturing" the air we breathe. Most ocean-bound photosynthesis is performed by single-celled plants called phytoplankton. "These things are so small," according to Michael Behrenfeld, a researcher at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, "that if you take hundreds of them and stack them end-to-end, the length of that stack is only the thickness of a penny". The humble phytoplankton species plays a vital role in balancing the amounts of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Therefore, understanding exactly how phytoplankton growth works is important. |
| File Size | 6301820 |
| File Format | |
| Language | English |
| Publisher Date | 2000-01-01 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Oceanography Oxygen Extraterrestrial Oceans Carbon Dioxide Phytoplankton Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor Ocean Dynamics Photosynthesis Chlorophylls Ntrs Nasa Technical Reports Server (ntrs) Nasa Technical Reports Server Aerodynamics Aircraft Aerospace Engineering Aerospace Aeronautic Space Science |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Technical Report |
