Ocean plankton found to absorb less CO2 than expected

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Phytoplankton, previously believed to be significant contributors to carbon dioxide absorption, are underperforming in their role due to nutrient deficiencies. Research by Peter Strutton and colleagues indicates that these microscopic plants in the tropical Pacific are producing less chlorophyll than expected, primarily because they lack essential nitrates and iron in nutrient-poor waters. This miscalculation suggests that phytoplankton are absorbing approximately 2.5 billion tonnes less CO2 annually than previously estimated. The reliance on satellite imagery to gauge phytoplankton biomass has proven misleading, as the green pigment detected may not be chlorophyll but a different pigment-protein complex. This new understanding highlights the limitations of current methods in assessing the ocean's role in mitigating climate change.
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http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg19125676.000&print=true
Even phytoplankton are letting us down when it comes to global warming. These microscopic ocean-dwelling plants, which were thought to be gobbling up atmospheric carbon dioxide, are apparently not doing as well as was hoped.

In the past, satellite images of ocean colour were the main tool for measuring photosynthetic biomass: the greener the ocean the more CO2 was being taken up by the phytoplankton. This idea now seems to be misleading.

Peter Strutton of Oregon State University and colleagues studied phytoplankton fluorescence in the tropical Pacific using data from 12 years and 58,000 kilometres of ship transects and found that the phytoplankton are making far less chlorophyll than expected. They reason that in nutrient-poor waters like the tropical Pacific, phytoplankton are starved of nitrates and iron. Because of this they produce a pigment-protein complex that is not chlorophyll but shows up just as green in satellite images. They calculate that this means 2.5 billion tonnes less CO2 is being absorbed each year than was thought (Nature, vol 442, p 1025).
Ooopsies. We guessed and guessed wrong. Then we guess again that we weren't actually wrong, it is just that the plankton are deficient in specfic nitrates and iron. That's the vibe I got.
 
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I knew it! Global warming is a form fo deliberate attack on the rest of us by the phytoplankton. They've been jealous ever since the other species went multi-cellular.
 

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