Microscopic ocean algae produce a huge share of Earth’s oxygen—but they need iron to do it. New field research shows that ...

Shaking caused by quakes may cause ocean floor vents to release more nutrients, triggering blooms in plant-like organisms ...

Ocean scientists have been utilizing satellite technology to provide a clearer look at the plankton that form the foundation of aquatic ecosystems. What they're finding, according to The New York ...

Francois Ribalet, a research associate professor at the University of Washington's School of Oceanography, holds a vial of Prochlorococcus on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Annika ...

Phytoplankton use sunlight to make energy and nearly half the oxygen we breathe, a new tool improves our ability to measure how individual phytoplankton cells are using energy ROCKVILLE, MD – ...

URI researchers say that in the last 50 years, levels of phytoplankton – tiny plants that are the foundation of the marine food chain – are down by 50% in Narragansett Bay. Through photosynthesis, ...

This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grist’s weekly newsletter here. Some of the littlest organisms in the ocean wield incredible influence, both on their ecosystems and on the ...

SEATTLE — For decades, scientists believed Prochlorococcus, the smallest and most abundant phytoplankton on Earth, would thrive in a warmer world. But new research suggests the microscopic bacterium, ...

Methylmercury is one of the chemicals that poses the greatest threat to global public health. People ingest methylmercury by eating fish, but how does the mercury end up in the fish? A new study shows ...