CSIR highlights high iron stress on phytoplankton, declining Southern Ocean productivity levels

Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) senior researcher Dr Tommy Ryan-Keogh has shared the outcomes of a study that reveals the declining productivity levels of the Southern Ocean, the implications of high iron stress levels on phytoplankton in the Southern Ocean and how this will impact on the overall health of the global ocean and the future of the planet. “Our latest research findings indicate that an escalation in iron stress is having a detrimental effect on the phytoplankton of the Southern Ocean. This implies a decrease in the availability of iron in the sunlit waters, directly impacting the capacity of Southern Ocean phytoplankton to absorb carbon dioxide. This, in turn, affects the ocean's productivity levels and its ability to maintain ecosystem services,” he said.