New 13-year study tracks effects of changing ocean temperature on phytoplankton

A new multiyear study has shown for the first time how changes in ocean temperature affect a key species of phytoplankton. The study tracked levels of Synechococcus—a tiny bacterium common in marine ecosystems—near the coast of Massachusetts over a 13-year period. As ocean temperatures increased during that time, annual blooms of Synechococcus occurred up to four weeks earlier than usual because cells divided faster in warmer conditions, the study found.

from Oceanography News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/2e13bU6
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