Journal of Oceanography and Marine Research
Open Access

Green-algae

Oceanic phytoplankton is the primary food source, directly or indirectly, of nearly all sea organisms. Composed of groups with siliceous skeletons, such as diatoms, dinoflagellates, and coccolithophores, phytoplankton varies seasonally in amount, increasing in spring and fall with favourable light, temperature, and minerals.Phytoplankton populations in the oceans have been shown to rise and fall according to cycles lasting several years to decades. However, scientists examining records of phytoplankton kept from 1899 to 2008 noted that phytoplankton biomass fell by 1 percent per year in 8 of Earth’s 10 ocean basins, resulting in a cumulative loss of roughly 40 percent. Rising sea surface temperatures over the same period are thought to be the primary cause of this decline