Climate Change in the Abyss
Climate change,
man made and
natural is affecting
phytoplankton
abundance and
distribution in surface waters.
Dead phytoplankton sink down
to the sea bed and are food for sea cucumbers living nearly
5 kilometres down on the Porcupine Abyssal Plain.
Image Credit: NOCS
There, sea cucumber numbers have increased from one or two animals per football pitch-sized area to over 6000 immediately after peaks in food supply. In this way, climate change can affect life in the deep sea.
Sea cucumbers are in fact animals. They live on the sea bed and pick out food particles from the sediment.
Image Credit: Fish image copyright of NOCS/RRS Discovery, copyright of NERC
Content Credit: National Oceanography Centre, Southampton.