Ocean mixing and food supply

Strong mixing in cold nutrient-rich waters along the eastern boundaries of the world's oceans appears to reduce rather than stimulate growth of phytoplankton (microscopic plant-like organisms). In the nutrient-poor open ocean, on the other hand, mixing has a positive effect on phytoplankton growth. This is the surprising conclusion of a recent article by French oceanographer Vincent Rossi and colleagues in EGU's open access journal Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics (NPG). Since phytoplankton are the base of the ocean food chain (they are eaten by zooplankton, which are then eaten by small fish) this finding provides new understanding of some of the most important regions for human food production.

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Influence of atmospheric CO₂ on vegetation: evidence from past climates

Changing levels of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide have a direct influence on vegetation. Plants depend on CO₂ for growth and development. Thus, when the atmosphere contains low levels of CO₂, as during ice ages, forests are reduced. Taking this effect into account makes climate models more reliable. This is the conclusion of a recent article in EGU's open access journal Climate of the Past by Colin Prentice and Sandy Harrison of the University of Bristol, UK.

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