JOURNAL ARTICLE

More carbon dioxide in oceans could harm carbon-eating microbes, speed climate change.

  • Published In: Sciencemag.org, 2025. P. N.PAG 1 of 3

  • Database: Applied Science & Technology Source Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Service, Robert F. 3 of 3

Abstract

A recent study suggests that increased ocean acidity due to rising carbon dioxide levels could harm phytoplankton populations, potentially reducing the oceans' ability to absorb CO2 by 10% in 50 years. This could lead to faster warming of the global climate as atmospheric CO2 builds up more quickly. The study found that higher acidity levels negatively impacted the growth rates of larger eukaryotic phytoplankton in tropical and subtropical oceans, potentially reducing carbon uptake by 5 trillion kilograms per year within half a century. While it is uncertain if these declines will definitively impact CO2 absorption by the oceans, researchers caution that the situation could worsen due to ongoing environmental changes. [Extracted from the article]

Additional Information

  • Source:Sciencemag.org. 2025/03, pN.PAG
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Environmental Sciences
  • Publication Date:2025
  • Accession Number:183643083
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Sciencemag.org is the property of American Association for the Advancement of Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Looking to go deeper into this topic? Look for more articles on EBSCOhost.