Thursday, July 29, 2010

Decline in Phytoplankton - Warnings Not Heeded

For years I have been warning students and others about the consequences of our continued pollution of the world's oceans and the effect it would have on some of the most important members of the microbial world - the phytoplankton.  These microbes supply as much as 50% of the available oxygen in the atmosphere and help to remove carbon dioxide both for their own photosynthetic needs and as a structural component.  This article, unfortunately, proves I have been correct in my assumptions.  While the scientific and political debate about global climate change rages on, we have quietly chosen to ignore this decline.  I honestly do not know if anyone reads my blog and perhaps it does not ultimately matter if they do, but if so I can only reiterate that which I have said before.  A decline in atmospheric oxygen levels of even a few percent could easily shift the delicate balance that has allowed life on this planet to evolve the way it has and will profoundly impact biodiversity on a global scale.  Declines in atmospheric ozone will widen already existing holes and perhaps allow new ones to form, in turn allowing more ultraviolet radiation to pass.  Mutations resulting from such radiation will reduce biodiversity further and shift the species curve.  This is not science fiction. This is not speculation.  This is not political maneuvering.  The facts are in and data is available to anyone who wishes to see and analyze it.  Here is the NOAA site if you wish to do your own analysis, as well as the Nature article abstract of the most current research.

Perhaps I am wrong.  I certainly hope so.  But with anthropomorphic environmental disasters such as the current spill on the gulf coast, continued overfishing, agricultural and aquacultural runoff, not to mention plain old pollution, plus the law of unintended consequences we may suffer at the hands of potential "geoengineers" who have forwarded plans such as the seeding of the oceans with iron filings and the air with sulfur compounds to combat global warming, I am not so sure.  As Pink Floyd said, "breathe...breathe in the air..."  If this decline continues, you may not be able to do so much longer.
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