Research at SAHFOS
Scientific research is directed along four scientific themes:
- Macroecology and climate change impacts
- Biodiversity and changes to ecosystem functionality
- Sustainable use of marine bio-resources
- Environment, pollution and ecosystem health
Plankton as indicators of the health of the oceans
At the base of the marine foodweb, the free floating plant life
of the sea (phytoplankton) provide food for the animal plankton
(zooplankton) which in turn provide food for many other marine
organisms. The carrying capacity of marine ecosystems in terms of
the size of fish resources and recruitment to individual stocks as
well as the abundance of marine wildlife (e.g. seabirds and marine
mammals) is highly dependent on variations in the abundance, timing
and composition of the plankton.
These organisms also play a crucial role in climate change through
the export of the important greenhouse gas CO2 to the deep ocean by
carbon sequestration in what is known as the 'biological pump'.
Without this process concentrations of CO2 would be much higher in
the atmosphere and the climate of the world would be much warmer.
Apart from playing a fundamental role in the earth's climate system
and in marine foodwebs, plankton are also highly sensitive
indicators of environmental change and provide essential
information on the 'ecological health' of our seas.
