Researchers have shed light on the forces behind the astonishing biodiversity in the Galapagos.
The work was conducted this summer on the R/V Marcus Langseth by an international team from the following institutions:
- The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.
- The Galápagos Science Center.
- University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.
- North Carolina State University.
- University of Victoria.
- Cal Poly Humboldt.
The expedition focused on what controls phytoplankton growth, the base of the marine food web, and how physical processes such as island wakes, internal tides and topographic upwelling deliver nutrients that fuel the growth of these creatures, which power the entire web.
Phytoplankton plays a massive critical role in life on Earth. On the one hand, it produces much of the planet’s oxygen and absorbs carbon dioxide. On the other hand, zooplankton, which consumes phytoplankton, then transfers energy up to fish, seabirds, turtles and marine mammals. In the Galápagos, these tiny organisms underpin the archipelago’s celebrated biodiversity.
Commenting on the research study, co-lead and professor of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences at UNC-CH, Harvey Seim stated:
“This scientific expedition seeks to understand what controls the growth of phytoplankton—the base of the marine food web—and how physical processes, such as island wakes, internal tides, and topographic upwelling—supply nutrients that drive ecosystem productivity.”
While research team member and Chemistry Professor at Cal Poly Humboldt Claire Till added:
“Our team is gathering some of the most detailed measurements ever taken in the Galápagos to understand how nutrients move through the ocean and fuel plankton and, in turn, the marine ecosystem. By linking physical, chemical, and biological data, we can begin to see the full picture of how the currents and geography influence the nutrients and phytoplankton communities, and ultimately support the rich ecosystem we see in the Galapagos.”
