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These tiny creatures play an outsized role in Southern Ocean carbon storage
In the frigid waters of the Southern Ocean, tiny organisms called krill, along with copepods and other zooplankton, play a giant role in regulating Earth’s climate. Though only a few centimeters long, krill consume vast quantities of phytoplankton (microscopic marine plants) that absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. When krill feed on these phytoplankton, they incorporate that carbon into their bodies.
But it’s what happens next that’s crucial: krill and similar creatures produce dense, carbon-rich fecal pellets that sink rapidly to the deep ocean. This process, known as the biological carbon pump, effectively transfers carbon from the surface to the deep sea, where it can be stored for centuries or longer. Additionally, when these small creatures die, their bodies also sink, further sequestering carbon. Scientists now recognize that these tiny animals are essential to keeping large amounts of carbon locked away, helping slow the buildup of CO₂ in the atmosphere. Disruptions to their populations, due to climate change, overfishing (krill are harvested for fishmeal and omega-3 supplements), or changes in sea ice could weaken this natural carbon sink and have profound implications for global climate regulation.
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