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Currents in an Arctic sea accelerate the sinking of carbon-carrying phytoplankton

Currents in an Arctic sea accelerate the sinking of carbon-carrying phytoplankton
Phys.org Wednesday 23 September 2026, 13:00 UTC 1 min read
Key Points

Tiny plantlike organisms called phytoplankton that form the base of marine food webs topped by orcas, whales and sharks usually get eaten or slowly sink to the seafloor, carrying carbon as they go. Across most of the ocean, the descent from sunlit surface layers takes weeks. But in the Arctic's Chukchi Sea, scientists have found that a convergence of currents pushes phytoplankton from under the ice to the seafloor at four times the usual speed.

Tiny plantlike organisms called phytoplankton that form the base of marine food webs topped by orcas, whales and sharks usually get eaten or slowly sink to the seafloor, carrying carbon as they go. Across most of the ocean, the descent from sunlit surface layers takes weeks. But in the Arctic's Chukchi Sea, scientists have found that a convergence of currents pushes phytoplankton from under the ice to the seafloor at four times the usual speed.
Arctic (LOCATION) Chukchi Sea (LOCATION)
Originally published by Phys.org Read original →

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